My Beloved Monster: A City Hunter Fairytale
by AskForXYZ
Summary: Following the death of the Healer, the title and responsibility befalls upon his sister. Her kindness and temper win her the unlikely friendship of a most revolting creature. However, there is more to the creature and more to King Kaibara's prosperous kingdom than the eye can perceive. Can a young, innocent maiden unearth the secrets meant to be buried for all eternity? [ON HOLD]
1. The Healer's Sister

A/N: Hullo, readers! As some of you might know, I have been on a writing hiatus for the last few months. This is the story I promised to deliver when I got back. I have only written the first chapter until now, shall write further if the story picks up enough attention. It's a fairytale version of City Hunter. Sort of. Maybe just a little.  
>Anyway, the characters might seem <em>OOC<em> but that's because this is an out-of-canon story and I wanted to maintain that fairytale touch. Also, the term _'red-headed snippet'_ is sort of a homage to Anne Shirley. I hope y'all like this fanfiction story and let me know if you do. Happy Reading! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own _City Hunter_, nor do I own any of its characters.

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><p><span><strong>My Beloved Monster <strong>

**1. The Healer's Sister**

Once, in a land unknown to the civilised and dreary world, there lived a young maiden. She was of age twenty; and she lived alone. Her habitat had not always been lonesome. She had had an elder brother. Oh, what a man he was! Having taken an orphaned girl-child under his care, he had devoted his entire life to her and the kingdom's service. He held the most honourable yet the most responsible title in the peasantry. He was the Healer. After his untimely and much mourned death, the title and the job fell on her nimble shoulders. She was the Healer's sister before; and soon to become the Healer herself.

The girl, for she was far too young to be deemed a woman, was difficult. She had known so; the village had known so. The outbursts of her scathing temper and the tremors that followed were common to the villagers. They called her the "red-headed snippet". She loathed that name and she loathed whoever referred to her by the same. Undisputedly, she had a dollop of thick red hair on her head. She was fierce when provoked, true. But she was a person. She was Kaori. Why couldn't they simply call her Kaori? It was a beautiful name! Did they have to refer to her temper, to her naivety, to her sex, to her loss, to her solitude and to her shortcomings all in one phrase – _the red-headed snippet_? Oh, bother. She would ignore them; make them believe that their insults had no effect on her. However, she failed miserably at that. It was just a matter of time after she had been called or taunted by the use of her more popular name that she would swing someone by their leg or bash a barrel on their head. Her brother would intervene then. He would ask her to be more tolerant, to ignore them in action and not just thoughts.

She had learned to live with "red-headed snippet" though it hurt her. Would she ever be able to live with those pitying stares? Would her ears ever turn deaf to the hushed murmuring filled with scorn and relief? And would her head, set on a graceful neck of which she was proud, ever raise itself again and turn her eyes towards the people who had made a mockery of her all these years? She walked on. Her head was bent. Her steps were timid but quick. No one dared call her a red-headed snippet then. They were preoccupied lamenting over her fate and being grateful for their own.

In such times of peril as she had never been a witness to before, Kaori sought the shelter of her friend – Kazue, daughter of the village librarian. Kazue's father had been pushing daisies for ten and two years now, and the girl had undertaken the care of the archives and the whole of the library when she was ten and four years old. Yet no one had ever referred to her as the librarian. She was a woman who could read! Was that not preposterous enough that further she be given an individual title?  
>"Greetings, Kazue"<br>Kazue looked up from the large roll of papers she was reading. She said plainly,  
>"Kaori. Do come and sit close to me"<br>Kaori sat opposite her across the large oak counter which the librarian had made by hand in his days. She shifted once to adjust the hem of her dress having forgotten to hold it before sitting down.  
><em>(Red-headed boyish snippet!)<br>_Kaori thanked Kazue and said,  
>"How are you?"<br>Kazue lifted her eyes off her friend's black dress and said,  
>"I am quite well, thank you"<br>She added after a pause,  
>"And you?"<br>Kaori smiled a little,  
>"I have been better before"<br>"I...", Kazue changed the course of her sentence, "I do not wish to hurt you by discussing the tragic event again, Kaori, but it has only been a week. You are still in mourning. Why did you step out of the house?"  
>Kaori answered feebly,<br>"I was lonesome"  
>"Oh dear", Kazue said, "I was going to visit you in the evening. Have I not done that the past seven days?"<br>"You have and I am grateful. But I...", Kaori fumbled for the right words, "I feel rather queer to-day. It seems to me that something is going to happen"  
>"You are tired and depressed, love. I am sure it is nothing significant"<br>"Do you think the King will make me the Healer?"  
>Kazue let go off the sheet of paper in her hand. The only other person in the library, a lad studying to be a vet, glanced at the girls with suspicion. Kazue said to Kaori, her voice smaller than before,<br>"Well, you could ask him to reconsider it. You could plea on the grounds of your sex. If he takes pity on you, he might refrain from making you..."  
>The last two words never left her mouth. She rolled the sheets of paper absently and stacked them in one of the wooden cylinders next to her chair. A sharp pang of dread hit her behind the ears when she heard Kaori say,<br>"But I want to be the Healer"  
>Kazue bent forward towards her friend and whispered sharply,<br>"Have you lost your mind?"  
>Kaori looked up in trepidation,<br>"I have not. Is it not right that I, being the rightful heiress, get to succeed to my brother's position?"  
>"It might be right in terms of formality, but it is madness. I won't let you indulge in madness"<br>She was frowning,  
>"I do not understand why you are against this, Kazue! It is my responsibility. I am Hideyuki Makimura's sister. And it befalls on me to ensure that the occupation my brother possessed is not tarnished by the appointment of someone who is not fit to do the job"<br>"And you fancy that **YOU** are fit to do the job? Oh, confound it!", Kazue heard herself swear and regretted it earnestly. She walked away from the counter, appeared from behind one of the bookshelves and walked towards Kaori. She said to her,  
>"Rise"<br>Kaori did. Kazue grabbed her arm and walked her to the backdoor. She said,  
>"God forbid me from saying so, Kaori, but it will be a cold day in Hell before I let you do anything as stupid and reckless as taking the appointment. You are to stay with Miki for an hour and I will join you for supper. Stay there, do you understand?"<br>"But..."  
>"No", Kazue's face was cold and stern, "Do not argue with me, young lady. Now go over to Miki's alehouse and stay there. Help her with something until I get there. Go on now"<p>

"This is unfair"  
>Kaori kicked a pebble near her feet. It tossed and landed a good ten feet away on the path.<br>"I just want to do what is right. Why is that such a sin all of a sudden? I hate this!"  
>She still had the frown on her brow when she approached Miki's alehouse. There was a hullabaloo of loud noises and yapping from within. Miki's alehouse was always crowded and bustling. Most of her customers were there to see her rather than lose themselves in the deliciousness of her pudding and the chatter in the boozer. Perhaps, those noises would help in drowning out the ones in her head. Kaori stepped into the alehouse.<p>

The room grew quiet within a minute. The silence reached its arms across the whole room and reigned. Sentences were left unfinished. Morsels were held in the air. There was no tapping of lager mugs on the tables. All the pairs of eyes, and the single eye of the man in the farthest corner, were on her. Kaori's chest heaved and she strained to control her rapid breathing. Before the churning dread in her stomach could turn to foam, Miki rushed to her, whispered,  
>"Kaori"<br>Even she didn't dare speak the name aloud.

Kaori was escorted into the kitchen. The cook looked back from her stove and pressed a hand to her chest. She exclaimed,  
>"She is in mourning, for God's sakes!"<br>Miki scolded her in a hoarse tone,  
>"Go on about your business now, Gertrude"<br>Gertrude shook her head and stirred the stew. Kaori said to Miki,  
>"I did not mean to disturb your customers... or your servants, Miki, forgive me. Kazue asked me to wait here for her"<br>"She was right in doing that. Do not fret, girl. You can stay here for as long as you want. I will make sure no one bothers ye"  
>The foreign <em>ye<em> escaped from Miki's mouth on occasion; she had grown up in a village far into the west of the kingdom. She passed her hands over her thighs, smoothing the rumpled dress, and stood up. Kaori thanked her and watched her turn to the door. The chatter which had resumed in the alehouse died again and Miki instinctively halted. A shadow expanded over the small room and Kaori saw Miki smile like a spirit.

A tall and large – nay, a giant of a – man lowered his frame from the shoulders to enter the kitchen. His magnificence became impressionable when his shadow alone kept the light from the candles from touching another part of the tiny kitchen. Terror gripped Kaori's heart. She instinctively rose, and stood behind her chair, her back pressed against the damp wall. Before she could ask Miki to step away from the dark, ginormous man, Miki said in a voice Kaori had never heard before.  
>"Falcon"<br>It was too dark for Kaori to see the man's face but the glint from his armour caught her eye. He was a soldier. It took Kaori a moment to realise that the heavy and sharp voice of the man was addressing her.  
>"Kaori Makimura, sister of Hideyuki Makimura, you are summoned to the Royal Court by order of the King, Lord bless him, to-day on the 7th day of the fourth month in another prosperous year of His Majesty".<br>Miki said to him,  
>"You are not here to see me?"<br>The soldier seemed to ignore her and waited for Kaori to speak. All she could say was,  
>"Me, you say?"<br>He grunted and for a moment, Kaori believed he would kill her in that very cold little room. Miki protested,  
>"Ye cannot! Y-you cannot take her, Falcon. You know what it means"<br>He did not make any remark or reply. Kaori heard him say,  
>"Follow me, Kaori Makimura"<br>Miki took a step forward and touched the man's hand. The soft glow of the stove-fire from Gertrude's corner of the kitchen weakly illuminated Miki's little white hand on the man's dark and grotesquely large one. Despite of her distress, Kaori blushed at the sight and averted her eyes. Miki pleaded with him,  
>"Falcon, please. She is just a child. You know she can't..."<br>Kaori looked again precisely in the moment when Falcon's thumb lightly brushed Miki's palm and Miki ceased to speak. His tone was much softer this time, as he said,  
>"I am under the order of the King himself. My hands are cuffed... Miki"<br>Miki released his hand with a sigh and turned to look at Kaori.

The alehouse was cold and grave when the knight in his shining armour strode out and Kaori Makimura followed close behind. All in the alehouse witnessed the soldier leading the Healer's sister to a dreaded fate. Or say, a guillotine.


	2. King Kaibara

A/N: My special thanks to _ScriptAngel_, _neha borkar_ and _Kayura Yukishiro_ for their reviews. My not-so-special-yet-humble thanks to everyone who reads this story. :P

Disclaimer: I do not own City Hunter nor do I own any of its characters.

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><p><span><strong>My Beloved Monster<strong>

**2. King Kaibara **

The King is supreme. The King is almighty. The King is the all-father. In the kingdom which this feeble quill dare not name, the King was God.

The people of the kingdom woke blessing the King with their dry throats. His name was never spoken except in reverence and prayer. His rule was never questioned; and when it was, it was by the tongues which were later pulled out. It is of extreme importance for it to be mentioned that the King never ordered a rebel to be executed. His people did so of their own accord. The kingdom had not seen a rebel in the last twenty and seven years; but it would know what was to be done if one dared arise.

The shops and trades were named after His Royal Highness King Kaibara with patriotism and fidelity. People drank to the health of their ruler every day. Their festivals were devoted to the celebration of his reign. King Kaibara's rule was far from despotic; it was approved of and enjoyed by the subjects. The King never approved of the sacrilege of any places of devotion and God-worship. They were functioning and pious as ever, but the prayers and flowers offered were only for the sake of the King and his well-being. The people were as selfless as a virgin mother of an incarnate deity. The incarnate deity, their King, was whom their sole existence dwelled upon, their energies concentrated into and their gratitude flew to. How could a mere monarch garner such blind affection and devotion which humans are existentially incapable of?

King Kaibara emerged from his royal bed at the very crack of dawn. His bed was anything but royal to the unknown stranger observing it for the first time. It was rather ordinary. The frame of the bed was plain as was the rest of its body. There were no intricate carvings on any part of the bed. It was brown in colour and made of strong, thick mahogany wood. The only distinguishing feature of the King's bed was the size. It was large enough to accommodate the average length and broad figure of the King. When he arose, the cotton bed-cloth lay firm and starch as it was the night before. The bed was empty and the King was approaching the balcony outside his chamber.

Unlike the usual preference adopted by his predecessors, the King preferred his balcony to be facing inwards to the palace, and not exposing the view of the capital. He looked down in the courtyard; a maid servant was carrying fresh fruits in a basket towards the pantry. She was a rosy, plump girl of ten and eight years. Her _beauty_, as the lads in the town termed her charming looks, was ineffectual on the King. Women held no temptation for him. Rumour had it that he had not bedded a woman since the great Queen's demise. His son, however, lacked this virtue of his father's.

King Kaibara watched the maid exclaim in surprise, while the basket was snatched from her hands. The Prince, a young and handsome man of twenty and five years, stood before the girl with a smart grin on his face. She pleaded and the King heard,  
>"Not again, please, my Lord! I have been asked to keep these in the pantry. Mildred shall make me very sorry if I do not finish my task and return to the cooking-quarters soon. I beg of you, do give it back!"<br>The Prince in his turn hoisted the basket over his shoulders and said,  
>"Why do you not take it from me?"<br>The maid's face turned a rosier shade and she reached for the basket with her feeble arms. The Prince held the basket further upwards on one hand, taunting the maid while he did so. She begged and pleaded and tried again; and then she fell upon the Prince's brawny chest. With a squeak of surprise, she drew back, but the Prince pulled her close to him and laughed.  
>His father had seen enough. Calm yet stern, King Kaibara's voice echoed through the courtyard –<br>"Mick!"  
>The Prince - or as his darlings called him, Mick Angel – looked up, let go off the maid and her basket, all at once. The girl scurried backwards in fright. The fruits in the basket would have fallen to the ground if the Prince had not employed his infamous instincts. Like a trained performer in a fool show, the Prince gathered all the fruits one by one in the basket with his right hand before they could fall. An adventurous apple fell farther away from his companions and the Prince caught it too, on the tip of his ring finger. Impressed a thousandth time by the skills he had inculcated in his son from infanthood, King Kaibara expertly hid his smirk, one too small to be noticed. Prince Mick handed the basket of reassembled fruits to the maid, who was grateful to hurry towards the pantry. He bowed his head to look away from his father, munched on the apple in his hand and walked away in the white ruffled shirt he was wearing the night before.<p>

The King returned to the bed-chamber, being revisited by memories of his son's childhood. Prince Mick had always been playful and notorious for having a peculiar interest in his handsome maids. He was gifted too; a shapely head with fluffy golden hair, an angelic face, a well-developed physique and a tongue capable of melting the coldest of hearts. He was much like his late mother. King Kaibara's insistence upon discipline and order was contradictory to his son's gay and physical pursuits. But the Prince was wise enough to never fall foul of his father; he was faintly aware of an unforgiving vein in that old but tough royal body.  
>King Kaibara shook his head and proceeded to the bathing chamber. His Excellency had much more to ponder over than his son's proclivities.<p>

"All rise!", the guard-personnel bellowed.  
>They did. King Kaibara ascended on his throne. He was dressed in his royal but simplistic robes. Simplicity and order seemed to be the backbone of the King's existence. The royal prime minister bowed to him in a grand gesture,<br>"Your permission to proceed with the affairs for today, my imperial Lord?"  
>"Proceed", the King answered.<br>The minister spread the document from his right hand to the left, the one held slightly higher, and read,  
>"In the Court of His Royal Highness, King Kaibara the Great, the counsel calls upon Kaori Makimura, sister of Hideyuki Makimura, for a matter concerning the interest of the commonwealth and the kingdom's defence strategy"<br>King Kaibara settled comfortably in his throne when the doors to the royal court were pulled open by the sentries. It was Sir Umibozu, King Kaibara knew so with a glance. There was no other soldier in the kingdom as burly and devoted as he. And what was the pathetic creature following Umibozu?  
>"My King", Umibozu bowed.<br>King Kaibara saw the creature step out from behind the knight. She curtsied, a curtsy lacking in grace and confidence it was, and did not meet anyone's gaze. So this was Kaori Makimura. It was difficult to believe she was the sister of the legendary Hideyuki Makimura. She was incomparable to him in every aspect. Thin, pale, quite tall and devoid of the grace her sex exuded – she was promising. King Kaibara addressed everyone in the room,  
>"Leave"<br>The girl showed some signs of movement and Umibozu grabbed her arm,  
>"Not you"<br>She turned her head downwards again. There were but four people left in the courtroom – the King, the minister, the knight and the poor excuse of a female.

The minister was about to speak when King Kaibara said,  
>"I shall address the defendant myself"<br>He looked at the girl and said to her,  
>"Pronounce your name"<br>She raised her head and met his eyes. The poor thing was unaware that the King was never to be looked in the eye. She corrected herself on a faint nudge from the knight and bowed her head again. Her voice was unimpressive,  
>"Kaori Makimura... Your Highness"<br>"Are you not the Healer's sister?"  
>"I am, Your Highness"<br>"Are you knowledgeable in the science and art your brother practised as part of his occupation and service to the kingdom?"  
>"I...", she spoke slowly, but her voice was far from being little, "I am aware of certain herbs and healing practices, Your Highness"<br>"Did your brother tutor you?"  
>"No. I observed him when he practised his arts at home, Your Highness"<br>"Do you possess the awareness of the nature of your late brother's occupation?"  
>Her answer came after a pause,<br>"Yes, Your Highness"  
>An indescribable shadow passed over her face upon her brother being mentioned as <em>late<em>. The King enjoyed that sign of weakness in the red-headed creature.

She was perfect. In fact, she was not needed. But it would have been foolhardy to not appoint a Healer. The last Healer was exceptionally skilled; it would be ridiculous to imagine that any of his successors would possess half the talent he had. The girl would suffice, more than suffice, in fact. She was a girl after all. She did not possess the means or the intrinsic strength to make King Kaibara's worst nightmare come true. He was pleased and he delivered the verdict -  
>"Kaori Makimura, sister of Hideyuki Makimura, before the sun sets to-morrow, you shall take charge of your rightful position as the Healer and execute your duties towards the kingdom to the fullest of your capacity. Any negligence and infidelity in course of your duties shall confirm your eligibility to be executed as a traitor of the kingdom. You will be made aware of the nature of your duties and of the performance expected from you by a knight this court shall appoint. Peace", that silly word, "and mercy be upon you".<br>The girl looked too stunned to bow in response to the verdict. Yet she did so, but with a vacant look on her face. King Kaibara held back a victorious smile and inhaled deeply instead. He did not turn his head when the prime minister approached him.  
>"Your Majesty", he whispered, "She is a woman"<br>The King replied aloud to be heard by the knight and the new Healer,  
>"Gaze upon her. Does she seem like a woman to you? She is a feminine young lad at her best. Only a fool would believe her capable of seduction. Do you happen to be that fool, Yazu?"<br>"My humble apologies, my King", the minster bowed and withdrew.  
>King Kaibara's eyes sparkled with a glint of satisfaction,<br>"She will suffice"  
><em>She is perfect.<em>

After presiding over the affairs of the day, King Kaibara stepped into his chamber and the doors closed behind him. Dark and sinister dusk was seeping into the fading light of the fleeting day. The King glanced once at his balcony. The doors leading into the balcony closed without any visible human intervention. There was absolute darkness in the King's chamber, save for the candlesticks on the grooming table. King Kaibara walked to the centre of the room and faced the North wall. His back was to the bed and his arms were spread wide sideways. His robe changed colour, thread by thread, inch by inch. Like a saint parting the ocean, King Kaibara parted the wall before him without a touch. And behind the wall, lay his favourite part of the kingdom.

The man stepped into the concealed chamber behind the wall, his oldest kingdom, one he took wherever he went. There were vials and jars with effervescence and smoke pouring out. There were books with black jackets and titles which could be read only in a dead tongue. He caressed the shelf of books as he marched forward. The object dearest to him was in the centre of the secret chamber. It reflected nothing, but shined marvellously. King Kaibara, God of his people, touched the gold-rimmed mirror and his voice shook as he spoke,  
>"Show him to me"<br>There was a sudden change in the light shed by the mirror. On witnessing this change, a smile covered the King's illumined face. He carefully touched the new reflection, his fingers gliding over the surface. That which he said to the image in the mirror, no mortal had ever heard him utter –  
>"Pride of my heart"<p> 


	3. King Kaibara's Monster

A/N: Hullo-hullo, dearies! I am in a rather fancy mood lately what with writing fairytales and having vacations and reading books all day long. It's a bloody pain to drag me arse before Groucho and type all the romantic junk floating in my mind, but I do it. I do it for your love and reviews! So love me through your feedback. Don't be a word-miser like my girl _neha borkar_. :P  
>And, <em>ScriptAngel<em> – you just know how to give me a shot of writer adrenaline. Thank you for your review. :3  
>I look forward to the R&amp;R <em>*looking around for Kayura Yukishiro and Captain Fabreeze*<em>. Ta!

Disclaimer: I do not own **City Hunter** nor do I own any of its characters.

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><p><span><strong>My Beloved Monster <strong>

**3. King Kaibara's Monster **

Kaori Makimura, sister of Hideyuki Makimura, was riding in a rattling carriage along a curved path leading to her small shire. Her brow was calm, as if it knew not the turmoil churning behind that pale face. She was famished, thirsty and grieved; her hand passed over the neckerchief covering her white throat. It was her notion that she was not to feel so desolate now that the title of the Healer was hers. Hours ago, she was looking forward to and hoping devoutly, that it was she and she alone who was to be made the Healer. Yet her entire being was possessed with a chilling melancholy and anxiety. There was never a doubt in her mind as to whether she wished to be appointed the Healer. Then why was she so afraid now that the battle was won?  
>Kaori peered deep within her soul for an answer, and shuddered when she found one. It was acceptance. Assuming her brother's occupation was the final step of her acceptance of his unfortunate death; that he had passed into another world and all that was left of him for little Kaori were memories and a life-threatening trade. Kaori hesitated at climbing that last step into the darkness of his absence, but she then realised that she had already stepped over, or that she had been pushed over with no other choice.<p>

"Hmph!"  
>Umibozu had <em>spoken<em> to the driver; he was riding on his steed by the carriage's side. His horse was large and dark like its owner. The beast's trotting could be heard by Kaori outside her window but it could not be seen. Umibozu had ordered the driver to cover the windows and the entrance to the carriage with dark drapes. It was for the purpose of hiding Kaori in her mourning dress from any fellow traveller's gaze. There was certainly no need for more fodder which the gossiping people could munch and chew upon.  
>"We shall be there in a while"<br>The voice was close and addressing her, yet Kaori did not take any notice of it. She cleared the dry resistance in her throat and said to the driver,  
>"Pardon me, brother, but do you happen to possess some water to drink?"<br>A cold reply came from behind the curtain,  
>"You pardon me, lady, but I got rid of me drinking water just when we passed the bridge"<br>"Oh", Kaori said, "My apologies for disturbing you"  
>"Not at all", said the driver and whipped the horses.<br>Kaori had begun to grow accustomed to this repulsion by the people towards her. To begin with, they had never appreciated and liked her. And now, they despised her; what for, she did not bother to know.  
>"Here"<br>Kaori almost fell to the other side of the carriage, on seeing an arm clad in silver appear through the window. It was Umibozu's arm, and he held a flask in his hand. Kaori was sceptic as to whether she should accept it, hence she asked him.  
>"Do you wish me to take this bottle, Sire?"<br>"Yes. Drink the water"  
>A smile graced Kaori's face despite of the troubled state she was in. She said,<br>"I thank you"  
>"Hmph!"<br>She drank the water carefully so as not to spill it over herself in the wobbly wagon. That flask of water was the first indication of Sir Umibozu's kindness towards Kaori. The second indication came a night later.

The mighty sun had not gained enough time to spread his warm bounty over the land. The larks had begun to sing in some distant trees. At the backdoor of Miki's alehouse, there stood three figures – all of them women, and all of them unenthusiastic to part. Kazue suddenly shook her head,  
>"No! I shan't let you go! They can do with me whatever they wish to. I forbid you from doing this, Kaori!"<br>Kaori laid an arm on her shoulder,  
>"Do not distress me so, Kazue. I am going to fulfil a noble purpose. You ought to be happy for me, not afraid"<br>"I am afraid that if I let you go I won't have you to be happy for anymore!", she exclaimed.  
>Kaori was about to speak again but Miki intervened. She said,<br>"You vex me to no end, Kazue! It is very childlike of you to give way to your fears before Kaori. Do you think that Kaori herself is not afraid and uncertain of going? Come, come. Do not be so, my friend. We are here to pillar Kaori with support and faith in her return. Be a good friend now that she needs it most, Kazue"  
>Kazue's pallor changed in embarrassment and she turned away from her friends. Thereupon came the familiar noise of trotting horses and a tumbling wagon. A gasp rushed out of Miki's red mouth in the form of morning smog. The ladies witnessed the approaching of the great knight Sir Umibozu and a royal service carriage following close behind. The black beast whinnied and Umibozu stepped off the saddle. Miki stepped forth to greet him.<br>"Falcon, can this not be averted?"  
>"I shall tell you again, Miki: it cannot"<br>Kazue walked with Kaori to the carriage, arm in arm; all the while Miki conversed with her betrothed. Kaori smiled at her friend,  
>"I shall be back in a fortnight"<br>"How do you know?"  
>"My brother came home every fortnight. If he was going to delay, he would send me a letter, an assurance of his safety"<br>"Yes. However, that was your brother, a man. You..."  
>"Hush", Kaori said, "Do not say another word to make me stay, Kazue. This is my responsibility, and I shall wear this title as a badge of honour"<br>Kazue nodded in meek obedience; she dared not rebuke Kaori with that resolute smile on her face. Kaori took her hand,  
>"Do take care of yourself. Perhaps, keep an eye on my old place"<br>"That I shall do", Kazue smiled at last.  
>The two friends held hands, said not another word, and looked over at Miki and Sir Umibozu.<p>

"Take care of her, Falcon. She is a sister to me", Miki said.  
>"I shall"<br>"Ye... do make sure that she comes home after a fortnight"  
>Umibozu remained silent, having no honest assurance to provide his lover with. She pleaded,<br>"Falcon! Swear to me upon our love that ye will bring her back to me"  
>"Miki..."<br>"Give me your word"  
>He inhaled deeply and looked into the eyes of his beloved,<br>"Upon my honour"  
>"Why not upon our love?"<br>"'Tis the one thing I deem too precious to swear upon"  
>Miki blushed and advanced towards him for an embrace.<br>"Oh Falcon!"  
>Sir Umibozu stepped backward and coughed to be discreet,<br>"I must go now"  
>Miki smiled again and looked yonder at the carriage. She waved her arm in farewell and pressed her shawl closer to her chest. Umibozu asked of her,<br>"Do you not wish to say goodbye?"  
>"I shall burst into tears if I see her parting. Farewell"<br>Miki turned to her alehouse and walked within; the door shut with a loud noise behind her.

Kaori stood upon a clearing in the woods with Sir Umibozu by her side. The mist was dense and clouded her vision. Beyond, she could see the endless woods and nothing else. In her hands, she held a gunny sack of her possessions. While her brother lived, she had helped him pack his belongings on many an instance when he had to part for another fifteen days and nights. She carried a change of clothes and underwear, a bar of soap, a hunk of bread, cheese, some herbs, and few fruits. The idea of employing the herbs made her shudder.  
>Sir Umibozu had been standing mute and tall for a while now. Kaori said,<br>"Sire, are we not to go further?"  
>"You are, not me"<br>She waited for the impending explanation.  
>"When you are willing, you are to take five steps further this point forth; you shall be taken into the realm"<br>"Oh. Will you not accompany me?"  
>"Only the Healer can pass through"<br>"But... forgive me, but, what is to determine who the Healer is?"  
>"The passage accepts only the Healer, not even the Monster"<br>A numbing nip issued in her bones on hearing the One mentioned for the first time after her brother's death. How was she to serve him if his very name scared her like a wee babe?  
>"What if...", she looked up at her company, "What if the passage does not accept me as the Healer?"<br>"The King would have never chosen you if you were not fit to be the Healer"  
>"Well", Kaori drew a deep breath, "I shall take my chance. Farewell, Sir Knight, and I thank you"<br>She took a step. Then another. It seemed to her like a nightmare where the feet are tied to boulders which soon pull you into the darkest pits of purgatory.  
>"Halt"<br>Kaori thanked God for she knew not what and turned her head towards Sir Umibozu. He stood beside her in one long stride and extended his giant palm towards her. Kaori looked upon it to find a shining piece of metal. It was a dagger, whose hilt was made of ivory; and the blade shone like molten mercury.  
>"For your safety", Umibozu said.<br>Kaori took the dagger without hesitation, evidently grateful.  
>"I thank you again"<br>"If the Monster", Umibozu said, "is not fond of your company, do not make an effort to make him so. Remember – when you are with him, you are at war. Do not assist him when he is engaged in combat; take shelter where the enemies cannot perceive you. Your duty is to heal him, not to aid him"  
>She hesitated then to speak what occupied her thoughts.<br>"I have heard my brother speak of him. He seldom discussed his work with me, but once he said... that the Monster was not as he appeared to be"  
>"Your brother could afford such philosophical ideas; you cannot. Do not befriend him at the risk of your own life. They call him a monster for a reason that has been justified by our enemies countless times before. Do you understand every word of what I have spoken?"<br>"Yes, Sire"  
>"Off ye go then"<br>He turned and began to approach his horse. Kaori called,  
>"Sir Umibozu!"<br>There was no reluctance in her voice at referring to him by his name. He looked at her from the distance.  
>"Give my love to Miki, if you please"<br>She could not see from the distance between them the knight blushing like a girl, and took his departure as an affirmative response to her request. Again she turned, took two steps, and recalled the memory of her brother.  
>"Here but before the grace of you, go I"<br>She entered the realm.

On first impression, the realm of the Monster was not much different from the woods she had been waiting in but a moment ago. The trees were green and tall; the shade was spacious. The fog was absent, which seemed to be the only difference in the two forests to her. Ah! There was a river in sight!  
>"This does not seem like the dwelling place of a monster... yet"<br>Kaori pulled the gunny sack over one shoulder and advanced with a cold nose towards the river. She was feeling anxious, but somewhat better at not being immediately greeted by a ferocious monster. Kaori chattered to herself to stockpile her confidence.  
>"Dear Lord, I hope he is not as terrifying as the fables and picture-books make him out to be. Brother worked with him, I can too. Besides, he is hundreds of years old. Bloody old goober cannot harm me! Aye! I am Kaori Makimura, a force to be reckoned with. Grandpa Monster better be prepared to keep up with me"<br>She stopped halfway in her path, and she had to, for her eyes beheld the form of one whose name was never spoken without a shiver. Kaori believed her throat to be parched again when she took into her vision the complete sight of her new partner. He, _it_, appeared from out of the river waters. The trees on the river banks shaded him from the sun; yet rebellious, stray beams lit his fur coat as if it were on fire. His fur was darker than the blackest night Kaori had seen, almost indigo in colour. The being strode slowly upon the bank and Kaori stared on in admiration. His paws were larger than a lion's and his mane shimmered in the morning light like that of the same. He stood on four legs which were robust and visibly in fine shape even from such a great distance. His frame was large, and Kaori believed that he was surely taller than her even on four _feet_.  
>"Magnificent!" , she whispered in awe.<br>She was hoping to see his eyes; the fear of approaching him deserted her in an instant. A few long strides and she would be gazing into his eyes. If he was a wolf, he was one fine specimen. She knew, however, that he was not a wolf; the stories insisted that he was half-beast and half-monstrosity. Kaori had always appreciated fine and well-bred animals. Oh, if it were not for the long distance between them...

"**AARGH!**"  
>Kaori fell back with a scream. Within the blinking of an eye, the Monster was from there upon her. Every word of those petrifying tales had not done a grain of justice to the ferocity of the being that pinned her to the ground. His eyes, which she had so expected, hovered above her face like two blazing orbs. Her shoulders bore the crushing presence of his paws and her breath almost left her body. Kaori was terrified like never before in her life, and more so when she smelled blood.<p> 


	4. Monster Anonymous

A/N: My apologies for the slightly late update! I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter though our lovely Ryo and Kaori seem OOC and British. :3

Feedback: _neha borkar_ – Ryo has made his entrance already. If there is one person whom I want to learn a lesson from this, it is you! :P  
><em>eNga3d<em> – Thank you for your review! I look forward to further feedback from you. :D  
><em>ScriptAngel<em> – Thanks for your review, Angel! The reason these people are so cruel towards Kaori is that she is considered an omen. She reflects what they can't bear to see of themselves and the kingdom. I will write about this in detail in later chapters, but I hope this half satisfies your question. Happy Reading. :D  
><em>Kayura Yukishiro<em> – There you are! Thank you for your exciting review! I hope you like this chapter too. ^_^  
><em>kaoriryolover<em> – Thank you so much for your review! I hope I didn't make you wait too much for this update. I will look forward to more feedback from you. :D

Disclaimer: I do not own _City Hunter_ or its characters.

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><p><span><strong>MY BELOVED MONSTER <strong>

**4. Monster Anonymous **

Kaori was in a world of terror and inescapable dread. Her breath returned to her body in quick, guttural successions; her chest heaved to twice of its usual proportions. Her eyes refused to look away from the beast which hovered over her and who had the thin figure pinned to the earth. She racked her mind to find a means of escape from that grotesque prison. The Monster could tear her throat open any moment. He had pounced upon her from a yard's distance in one leap; surely he could make minced meat of her pink flesh in less than a few bites.  
>She swallowed a rising scream from her throat, and lay breathing rapidly as the Monster bent his snout lower. The fabric of the black dress stuck to her abdomen with perspiration acting as glue and the Monster's breath blowing frighteningly cold over it.<br>_'He is about to kill me. Oh God, what am I to do?_'

Kaori closed her eyes in a futile effort to pray, but a prayer she couldn't recall. Following that moment which reminded her of her faith in the divine, Kaori's eyes opened to a surprising revelation. The Monster was sniffing her torso; his snout was between her breasts. She lay stupefied, unable to comprehend the happenings, as the Monster's nose travelled down her form. No one had ever been so close to her most intimate parts; oh the Devil! He was sniffing at her womanhood!  
>Repulsed and embarrassed at this highest form of insult, Kaori gathered the remnants of her fading strength, yelped, tried to push away the beast, and crawled backwards from underneath him on her hands and feet. The Monster stood back, all his muscular haunches looking like pillars, and his eyes meeting those of our heroine. Kaori roared at him like a lion,<br>"You hellish fiend! Insufferable wretch! You heartless beast! Confound you! Confound you and may God damn you!"  
>The Monster's mane settled peacefully after Kaori's thunderous swearing had stopped. He said,<br>"You are a woman"  
>She put her hands on her hips and seethed,<br>"Oh, you have made bloody sure of that, haven't you?"  
>Was she speaking to the Creature? And had he not spoken back? The Monster could speak like a human!<br>Despite of herself, Kaori said,  
>"You can talk"<br>"Yes", he turned around, "Get out"

Any maiden, who had suffered from such a close encounter with the most barbarous of creatures in existence, would have fainted or died of fright then and there. Not Kaori, however. She never fainted, nor did she blush like a lady was expected to. In actual, she tried to converse with the thing which had sniffed between her thighs.  
>"Whatever do you mean by asking me to get out?", she asked.<br>The Monster kept walking,  
>"It means you do not belong here"<br>"By Jove, I do! I am your Healer!"  
>She checked herself before saying 'Do you think I came here for a picnic?', for the Monster had turned to face her. He was majestic, oh yes, what a fine breed; a fine insolent breed.<br>"My Healer is dead", he said.  
>"Yes", Kaori said, "I am his sister"<br>The Monster gazed at her in a surprise evident on his furry features. He said,  
>"It cannot be"<br>"I am", Kaori picked her gunny sack from the ground, "I am Kaori Makimura, sister of the late Hideyuki Makimura"  
><em>Late. Oh Lord, so late.<br>_Kaori had not hoped to find any semblance of grief or remorse on the Monster's face when she mentioned her brother. It would have been unperceivable to any ordinary human, with the animal's face being devoid of any expression. Kaori knew where to look; she looked at the Monster's eyes, searching for a shred of empathy or nostalgia. She found it. Though for but a moment, the fierce glow in the Monster's black eyes was mellow, and a dull glint replaced it. He did remember his old Healer, her brother. Perhaps, it was too much to expect from a monster, but perhaps, just perhaps, he had grieved his partner's death.  
>"You cannot stay here. Go back to where you came from"<br>"I am here by the order of the King"  
>"You lie"<br>"I do not!", Kaori retorted, "It is not every girl's dream to keep a dangerous monster company in his uncivilised realm and have him sniff at your privates!"  
>"It must have been yours", he said with a calm alien to his horrific appearance.<br>Kaori bit her lip until it turned red,  
>"How dare you? Bleeding Hell, I ought to smack you on that grisly face with a stinking fish!"<br>"The King would have never made you the Healer were you not willing"  
>"I was willing, yes; but not to be pounced upon and sniffed at. You might have killed me!"<br>"Were you expecting flowers?"  
>"I was expecting some courtesy for a new colleague. How foolish of me!"<br>"You do have to be foolish to expect courtesy from a monster"  
>"Well, I believed my brother when he said a monster was not all that you were. I guess he was mistaken"<br>His face was unfathomably still, yet his eyes possessed a thoughtful expression. Kaori almost felt sorry for the Creature. He turned from her again.  
>"Go away"<br>"I will not. This is my responsibility now. I am your Healer, whether you approve of me or not"  
>"You are stubborn"<br>"That is not a revelation to me"  
>Kaori saw him turning around and exhaling breath in a white cloud, very akin to a human sigh. He said,<br>"If you are foolish enough to continue your stay here, you shall have to abide by my rules. If you fail at doing so, I shall kill you and send your corpse back to your shire"  
>Kaori feigned mock-horror,<br>"Oh, dear me! I thought you would eat me, Mr. Big Bad Wolf!"  
>"Fall foul of me and I shall do just that"<br>"Hmph", she muttered, "You wish"  
>"What did you say?"<br>"Nothing"

Never in her most insane moments would have Kaori imagined herself to be following the legendary guardian of King Kaibara's kingdom in a forest; she was sane and it was her reality now. The Monster walked with a royal gait, which Kaori tried to imitate from behind, but stopped when he looked back at her with a sharp glance. They walked past the river and he said,  
>"That river is known as Nymph's Bathing Water"<br>"Nymph's Bathing Water?"  
>"Yes"<br>"Why, who would give a river such a ridiculous name?"  
>"I"<br>"Oh, well... that is quite poetic"  
>He stopped beneath two trees which had their branches interlocked, forming an exquisitely artistic shade below. Kaori looked at it in unconcealed wonder.<br>"These are the Bussing Trees. Only I rest under their shade, no one else"  
>"I will remember that"<br>They walked towards a hillock of quarried grey stones, most of them covered in moss. The Monster diverted Kaori's attention towards the cave at the foot of the hillock. Its entrance was closed with two round boulders.  
>"This is my den. I call it A Lady's Breech"<br>Kaori mumbled,  
>"You are one disturbed species, Mr. Monster"<br>"I can hear you"  
>"Why, I did not say a word!"<br>The Monster jumped over the array of rocks and stood at the entrance to A Lady's Breech. Kaori asked from below,  
>"This is all rather nice, but where is my cave?"<br>"You do not have one"  
>"What on...", she began, "Where am I to sleep at night?"<br>"Under a tree, perhaps. But never under the Bussing Trees"  
>"Under a tree? Do I look like a bear to you? I am not going to sleep under a tree!"<br>The Monster descended from his granite throne, and walked to Kaori. She gasped as a thought came to her fancy.  
>"Did you make my brother sleep under trees on cold, winter nights?"<br>"Makimura shared the cave with me"  
>"Then why do I have to sleep under a tree?"<br>"You are a woman. At first, your cropped red hair suggested to me that you were a eunuch. Then I confirmed you were not. You can not stay in my cave"  
>"You bastard", she mumbled and frowned.<br>Kaori's sharp tongue outsmarted her good sense yet again.  
>"Am I supposed to believe that you find a woman's company to be repelling? That is rather surprising coming from someone who names his dwelling A Lady's Breech"<br>The Monster frowned as if caught off his guard; he said,  
>"I shan't accommodate you in my cave"<br>"But..."  
>"Follow me if you wish to see the common battle grounds"<br>She dropped her queries at the mention of battle, and followed the Monster.

The Monster and his accomplice stood upon a clearing similar to the one outside the realm, on which Kaori had parted with Sir Umibozu. She said,  
>"Is this a battle ground? We are just going deeper into the woods. Do you battle rabbits and camelopards here?"<br>Undeterred by her sarcasm, the Monster said,  
>"This neck of the woods is from where the enemies enter. I have killed many a people here, but King Nogami doesn't cease his attacks"<br>"The evil King Nogami? From our neighbouring kingdom? The one with plentiful of daughters?"  
>"Yes"<br>"Do we have to wait here every day for the attackers?"  
>"No. I can smell them from as far as thrice this distance from the passage"<br>"That is quite extraordinary", she said, "Are there going to be any attacks to-day?"  
>"There won't be any for a while. I defeated about fifty men of King Nogami yesterday; it is a huge loss. He will have to replenish his forces"<br>"Oh"  
>"Remember to never go farther than this clearing; you will be putting yourself in mortal danger"<br>"Duly noted"  
>The Monster turned and began to walk back the path from whence they had come. Kaori observed her surroundings with a curiosity characteristic of her free spirit. She said,<br>"You have named everything I need to know around here. But you have not told me your name"  
>"I do not have one"<br>"Is that so? What am I supposed to call you by then?"  
>"I would be much happier if you never called me by any name"<br>"Sourpuss", she remarked, "I can't call you Monster. It sounds horrid – oi, Monster! Supper's ready! Horrid, is it not?"  
>"I do not need for you to make supper"<br>"It is queer, just being known as the Monster. It is a gender neutral name too"  
>"I do have a penis"<br>Kaori collapsed on the earth with her gunny sack falling next to her head. She composed herself; red with embarrassment and fury, she rose,  
>"Whatever do you mean by that?"<br>"It is male genitalia"  
>"I... I... I know it is male genitalia! You need not have mentioned it to me! By God, you are vulgar!"<br>"Are you intimidated by my genitalia?"  
>"No, God, no!", Kaori shouted defensively, "You have the most queer and deluded fantasies!"<br>"You do not possess an adequate knowledge of my fantasies"  
>If Kaori could have seen his face then, she would have seen a notable smirk on the Monster's terrible face. She folded her arms over her chest like a boy, and steered the conversation,<br>"You are yet to tell me your name"  
>"By all means, keep dreaming that I will"<br>"Oh. I believe the reason for your secrecy is that you have a feminine name; like Rachel or Margaret or Claudia or Beatrice. Or is it Ophelia?"  
>"That is not true"<br>"Then why are you hiding?"  
>The Monster stopped walking, and so did Kaori. She feared he would turn upon her with a vicious snarl. However, his deep and melancholy voice reached her ears, with a twinge of pain.<br>"Saeba"  
>"Saeba?"<br>"Yes"  
>She smiled,<br>"Is that what my brother called you?"  
>The Monster lied,<br>"Yes"  
>He resumed his walk, and Kaori followed suit. She said, and the Monster shook his head in despair,<br>"Saeba is a queer name too. I think I ought to give you a more Christian name. Now..."

On that fortunate day, the Monster had finally met the most important person in his life, and so had Kaori.


	5. A Day With A Monster

A/N: Ahoy, me darlings! You know, I would have written this chapter far sooner if I didn't have a book-hangover. As always, the hangover left me giddy, daydreaming, and with an imagination handicapped to work on anything which was not related to the book I had just read. So I slept over it, grabbed me quill and set to writing at a furious pace. The end result does seem hasty as such. I jolly well hope you don't mind. :3

Feedback: _ScriptAngel _– Thank you for your very kind review as always. I hope you like this chapter more than the last one! :)  
><em>neha borkar<em> – Thanks for your review! Do review this one too! :3  
><em>Kayura Yukishiro<em> – Thank you for your lovely review, Kayura-chan! I sure hope you like this chapter too! :D

Theme: _My Beloved Monster_ by Eels – yes, that's where I snatched he title from. But hey, no copyright infringement intended. :P

Disclaimer: I do not own _City Hunter_ or its characters, nor do I own any of the songs mentioned here.

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><p><span><strong>MY BELOVED MONSTER<strong>

**5. A Day With A Monster **

"Is that all of it?"  
>The words were not spoken in haste, but out of mere need to stab the dreary silence between them. Kaori had uttered them, and to her chagrin, Saeba answered sarcastically –<br>"You are free to gallop away on your horse and tour"  
>"I have had a tour", she mumbled the next words, "Shabby though it was"<br>Saeba paid no heed to her and climbed atop the quarried pile in two leaps. He stood at the entrance to A Lady's Breech and said to Kaori,  
>"Do not wander beyond the prescribed limits"<br>He was about to enter his cave when Kaori called to him.  
>"Where are you going to?"<br>"To rest"  
>"What am I to do here all day?"<br>"I do not know"  
>"Well", she scratched her head, "What did my brother do when there were no attacks going on?"<br>"Makimura and I engaged in conversations"  
>Kaori smiled,<br>"Is that so? Do you mind if I – "  
>Saeba was gone deep inside the dark cave, leaving Kaori clueless and annoyed. She mumbled a few curses and walked to a peach tree, her gunny sack by her side.<br>"What am I supposed to do the whole day while he naps in his cave? I do not need him to keep me company. Hmph! I will sit here and practice the arts of healing. Yes, I will"

For the remainder of that day, Kaori sat under the lively peach tree and leafed through an old manual about healing practices. There were scribbled notes on the margins of the pages in her brother's handwriting. Kaori threw the core of her last apple aside and leafed through the manual with haste.  
>"He used twice or thrice the original dosage for Saeba. Bark of <em>bo<em> tree for when there are shards of glass or metal in the wound – dear me. I wonder if anything can penetrate that thick fur of his. His skull is thick too. The jerk, leaving a guest alone by herself under a tree. If I say something to him about this, he will ask me if I expected hospitality from a monster. That is his great excuse for lack of manners. If he can speak, surely he can be kind and courteous. Now, what might this be?"  
>The margin-notes Kaori was referring to were on the page about gastric disorders. The scribbling was hastier than earlier there, and thus more difficult to read. Kaori tried.<br>"Angel dust... a priori... what... compos mentis... Dei gratia... what babble! Could this be Latin? If it is, we are out of luck, Brother. I have never been very good at deciphering Latin, if you remember. Deus ex machina... in propria persona – ha! I know what this means. What it has to do with gastric disorders, I wonder"  
>Worn with fatigue and an ache in her shoulders, Kaori closed the manual and stretched her arms. She patted her yawning mouth, thus producing an alarm signal akin to that of bandits, and sighed.<br>"What shall I do now? If I would have known this place would be so dull and unromantic, I would have brought some books to read. Perhaps, I can go back to the shire and bring some books"  
>She flung her gunny sack over the shoulder and rose with the intention of reaching the passage whence she had come. Her dress had a layer of tiny leaves and dust from behind, but she did not notice. Like a ruffian with no trace of decency in his blood, Kaori whistled as she walked. She was nonchalant, but she wondered if she would be scolded for returning to the shire before a fortnight had passed. At this thought, she stopped in her path and wondered if this risk was worth the entertainment it could bring to her days in the realm.<br>"To go or not to go?", she said aloud.  
>"The passage will not reopen for another fourteen days"<br>Kaori turned back on hearing Saeba's voice behind her. She thrust her chin upwards.  
>"Did my absence disturb your slumber?", she asked.<br>"Your absence enriched it"  
>Kaori screwed up her eyes and followed Saeba as he headed back towards the river. She asked,<br>"How do you know about the passage's conditions? Did you try to make an escape once?"  
>"Never"<br>"Then how?"  
>"Makimura told me"<br>"Oh", she grew humble at the mention of her brother's name, "Were you friends with my brother, Saeba?"  
>"In a way, yes"<br>"He was great, was he not?"  
>"Yes"<br>"Did he ever speak about me?"  
>"Yes"<br>"How sweet of him. What did he say?"  
>"I never cared to remember a syllable of it"<br>Kaori considered this an insult as well; she quickened her pace and smacked Saeba's snout with her gunny sack as if by accident. Saeba stopped walking, and Kaori looked back at him with a supercilious smile.  
>"Ah!"<br>She fell on the path, at the impact of Saeba's nudge to her back. A smile of disbelief greeted Saeba as he walked onward with a smirk of his own. Kaori rose in a hurry, caught up with him, smacked him on the head from behind, and ran ahead with a teasing laugh. Saeba leaped forward, his shoulder jabbing Kaori in the back, and making her fall to the earth again. She laughed boisterously this time, evidently enjoying the little game. It had been days since she had played tag or laughed. She found Saeba eyeing her with a curious eye; and she teased him further.  
>"Do you find something amusing on my face? Have you never seen a woman laugh before?"<br>He answered,  
>"I have. But I had never seen a witch cackle"<br>"You... how dare you call me a witch? Come back here! I will smite you for this! Saeba!"  
>She chased him, and the shadows of the trees lingered over the two beings, happy... though for just a while.<p>

It was night-time when Kaori and Saeba had retired from their childish chasing and tagging. The Healer's sister had lit a fire from the dry wood of the dead tree; she sat opposite Saeba from the bonfire. He was visibly relaxing with his snout on his forepaws, and facing the fire, but his ink-black eyes observed a humming Kaori's actions. Unaware, Kaori produced some bread and cheese from her gunny sack, and offered it to Saeba.  
>"I will eat some fruit", he declined.<br>Kaori said, with a mouthful of food,  
>"Will you? I had imagined that you ate stags and fishes"<br>"There is no game in these woods"  
>"There have to be fishes in the Nymph's Bathing Water"<br>"I cannot consume them raw"  
>"Ah", Kaori smiled, "The Monster does not possess any good manners, but he sure is picky about his food"<br>Saeba ignored her jeering, and looked away. Kaori stood up,  
>"I will catch a fish for you"<br>She walked to the banks of the river, and cautiously looked into the basin. The night was dark and quiet; however, the river formed a perfect moonglade. The water sparkled and Kaori could see small fishes swimming to and fro. She went down on one knee, leaned over and dipped her hand in the water.  
>"Cold!"<br>She retracted it soon. With concern for Saeba's nutrition and her duties as the Healer, she put her hand in the water again. The fishes tickled her soft hands as they passed, and Kaori could not match their swiftness to be able to catch them.  
>"Move aside. You are bound to catch a cold like this"<br>Saeba stood by her side on the shore. Kaori did as she was told to, and watched Saeba scoop fishes out with every stroke. He would simply dip his paw in the water, and fling two fishes in an instant on the bank. Kaori gathered them in the skirt of her dress, and rushed towards the fire. Without a semblance of grief or remorse, she stuck sharp sticks through the fishes, and held them one after another above the fire.  
>"Are you cooking them?", Saeba resumed his place across her.<br>Kaori did not bother to answer his query, but ventured to produce three sachets from her gunny sack. She poured fine grains through each of them on the fishes, and put them away.  
>"Salt, pepper, and spice", she explained to Saeba.<br>After the fishes were neatly roasted, Kaori handed Saeba a skewer, took one herself, and watched her partner devour the fish. She asked with a smile,  
>"Do you like it?"<br>Saeba looked up sheepishly and opened his mouth to speak, but a loud belch came out. Kaori laughed,  
>"So you do like it"<br>"It is ordinary"  
>"It is rude to not compliment the cook when she has made you a fine meal"<br>"I have had food much better than this"  
>Kaori asked defensively,<br>"Is that so? And who cooked it for you? The invisible nymphs or the lady in whose breech you make your dwelling"  
>"Makimura used to bring me food. He once brought me a roost pie; it was delicious"<br>"I had made that roost pie. It is my special delicacy"  
>She smiled amiably at Saeba, forgetting she was angry with him a moment ago. How it warmed her heart to hear even a monster like Saeba speak so fondly of her brother. Her brother had always been kind, and he had passed his kindness on to Kaori. She wondered if the beast sprawled before her had ever been treated kindly by anyone but her brother.<br>"Have you always been a monster?", she asked.  
>"Yes"<br>"Do you have a family?"  
>"I do not remember"<br>"You must be quite old to not remember your family. The books say you are a thousand years old, and have been guarding the kingdom ever since"  
>"I am of twenty years of age, not a day older"<br>"Pff", Kaori said, "You jest"  
>"Your family... do you remember them?"<br>Kaori glanced at him in surprise; he displayed no emotion despite of having asked a question so sensitive in nature. She duly answered him.  
>"I do not. I was barely out of my swaddling clothes when my father died. And... my mother died while birthing me. My brother raised me as if I were his own offspring. He was a child himself when we were both orphaned, but he ensured that I never felt the absence of our parents. He... was my whole world"<br>Saeba did not ask her any further questions, but she knew he was listening to every word she said.  
>"Saeba?"<br>"Yes?"  
>"I am sorry for my rudeness earlier. But, you deserved it for..."<br>She was interrupted as he dismissively rose.  
>"It is late. I shall retire for sleep now. I thank you for supper"<br>"It was a pleasure to cook for you. Good night"  
>She watched him leap up towards his cave, and wondered how lonely a monster in an enchanted forest must be. Being unable to remember his kith and kin? That could not have been pleasant.<br>"Time for bed, Kaori"  
>She said to herself, and rubbed her arms with warm hands. Thank goodness, she had brought a shawl along, or else she would have had to sleep bare in the freezing night. She set her feet against the warmth of the fire, leaned her back against the tree, spread the shawl over herself, and closed her eyes to dream of the happy days when her brother lived.<p>

Kaori woke, hoping for a sharp pain in her back from sitting straight against the tree for the whole of last night. However, she felt perfectly fine and no pain surged through her body. She opened her eyes and found a sight unfamiliar to the one she had witnessed last night. Saeba lay across her, submerged in half darkness and half sunlight; they were in his cave.  
><em>'He must have carried me inside after I fell asleep'<em>  
>She smiled at the snoring figure of the slightly courteous beast, and observed her surroundings. It was an ordinary cave, and quite shallow too; it accommodated her and Saeba's length though. Kaori picked up her shawl, and walked out of the cave.<p>

She had found her gunny sack where she had left it last night, out of which she borrowed the bar of soap and clean pantalets. With the intention of finishing her bath before Saeba could wake, Kaori had hastily stepped into the water and was washing herself. The water was pleasantly warm, and the sun shone at the other end of the horizon. Kaori would have been surprised if she had realised, that after a long interval of time, she was singing. Cheerfulness and gaiety had deserted her character a week ago, but something in the realm brought back that old part of herself, and she knew not what it was.  
>"Ha. That was delightful!", she exclaimed.<br>A clean wash cloth was in her right hand, as she climbed out of the water, placing her left hand on the bank. She was half above the water, half beneath, when a raspy voice addressed her –  
>"Stay h..."<br>**"Aaagh!"**  
>Kaori screamed and jumped back in the water. Saeba seemed unable to understand the delicacy of the situation; his bewildered gaze at Kaori was proof of that. She went lower into the water, with only her neck and head being visible and scolded Saeba.<br>"Turn around! Do not look at me! How could you... _urgh_!"  
>Saeba turned and his rear side faced Kaori. He blurted,<br>"I-I came to warn you that we are under attack. Stay here until my return. Do not venture past the first clearing towards North. I must go now"  
>"We are under attack?", she said, more to herself.<br>"Do not stray away"  
>She watched him as he bolted off at the speed of lightning. Though aware that he was far beyond hearing, she called,<br>"Do take care of yourself, Saeba!"  
>A dreadfulness spread tight over her heart when the sound of Saeba's trot faded away.<br>"God's nightgown! I cannot just stand here while he fights!"


	6. There Is Something About Kaori

Feedback: _neha borkar_ – Thank you for your review! Why are you being a stranger? -_-  
><em>Captain Fabreeze<em> – Thank you for your review. I am quite glad you like this story. And I am not going to write a sex scene between a beast and a human. -_-  
><em>ryoxkaorilover11<em> – Aww, you are so sweet! Thank you so much for your feedback! I hope this chapter exceeds your expectations from me. :D

Disclaimer: I do not own _City Hunter_ or its characters.

**MY BELOVED MONSTER**

**6. There Is Something About Kaori**

"_Why will you not listen to me?", Hideyuki had asked.  
>"I did not mean to be disobedient, Brother", Kaori said.<br>Her brother sighed and put a palm to his damp brow; it was yet another occasion on which Kaori had promptly acted against his judgement and warning.  
>"I know you did not mean to be disobedient, little one, but it would not hurt you to do as I say at times"<br>"Yes, and I tried and tried to not lose my good temper, and I tried not to hit that bast- "  
>"Kaori"<br>"That... brat. I tried not to hit that brat, Brother, I swear! It seemed though that my fist acted on its own. Like, divine interval!"  
>"Divine intervention?"<br>"Yes – that!"  
>"What you are saying is that God intervened in your quarrel, punched the little Stuart boy, broke his front teeth, flung him across the farm, and kicked him till he apologised to you. Is that so?"<br>Kaori leaned forward with her mouth stretched and pronounced in a childlike drawl,  
>"Yyyeeeess!"<br>Hideyuki shook his head, but could not help smothering a smile. He pointed to the little girl standing before him with her fists curled.  
>"You shall go over and apologise to Christopher Stuart"<br>"I will not!"  
>"You beat him till he cried"<br>"He said I was going to be a pathetic nag when I grew up! I shan't apologise to him!"  
>"Kaori..."<br>"No!"  
>She scowled at him and turned away. Hideyuki was used to his sister's temper tantrums by then; in fact, it made him smile to think how spirited a young person she was. He knelt down by her side; she tossed her head and looked away. With a good-humoured chuckle, he squeezed her shoulders and pulled her nose. Kaori looked back to confirm yet another victory. Her brother's homely face was radiant with a pleasant smile.<br>"My stubborn little hellion, always doing what you heart tells you to" _

'_I could not just stay there. At the least, I will get the opportunity to watch Saeba in action'_  
>Kaori was sprinting against the howling wind and hot sun; her destination was Saeba's side. Despite of his strict warning to stay put, she was running through the realm to be at her partner's side, to be able to help him if he was in need of her services. She was well past the first clearing towards North, yet no fighting person was in sight.<br>_'Did he smell their presence from so far off a distance?'_  
>Kaori was forced to stop a while when her dress was caught in the thorny branches of a low lying cacti. She swore and stooped towards the plant to untangle the loose threads of her skirt.<br>"Come off!"  
>She tried, but the dress was ridiculously stuck.<br>"I do not have the time for this!"  
>With a yank, she pulled her skirt out of the cacti's grip and thus, tore it at the ankles. She disposed off the thin strip of clothing hanging at her feet and resumed her jog.<br>"This is why I bloody hate dresses"  
><strong>"AEY-AAARGGHHH!"<strong>  
>Kaori stopped aghast on hearing the ungodly scream; it had come from right ahead of her. Quick, though shaken, she hid herself behind a cluster of giant trees and witnessed the massacre.<p>

All those tales and legends she had heard were far from capturing half the brutality of Saeba's savage and ruthless aggression. He tore and struck and roared, till that roar numbed the beating of one's heart. Kaori counted – Saeba was surrounded by twelve men; three were bleeding on the ground at varied distances from him. The men, enemy soldiers as they were, wore militia uniforms of a marsh-green colour. They held weapons which looked dangerously sharp and lithe even from a distance. Desperately, they tried to kill the Monster they were facing, but their swords and spears were unmatched to Saeba's agility, claws, and fangs. Kaori watched him with bated breath as he dodged every attack and every weapon. He was magical; surely, an ordinary beast as burly and large as he could not be so quick and possess such marvellous reflexes.  
><em>'He is amazing!'<em>  
>Her attention, for a moment, was captured by the wounded and scared soldiers retreating for their lives' sake. A tall one, who was still trying to get around Saeba, yelled at his deserting companions,<br>"Cowards! **Aaagh!**"  
>Saeba had clawed him on the chest and sent him flying to his fleeing comrades. Kaori watched quietly from the shelter of the trees, and her eye caught the sight of a soldier lunging with gritted teeth and a naked sword towards Saeba's rear side. She found herself screaming,<br>"Saeba, behind you!"  
>"Kaori!"<br>His cry was fierce and full of rage. And it soon became a cry of pain, for the last soldier's sword shattered with half the blade immersed in Saeba's left side.  
>"Oh God!", she gasped.<br>Kaori's remorseful cry came at the sight of a wounded Saeba, whereas the soldier's cry came out of sheer terror. Saeba's eyes glowered like those of a hellhound's; his jaw vibrated with a ferocious sneer. He tore open his opponent's throat. Kaori looked away for the sight was too gruesome to bear. Saeba stood panting, trying not to stagger, and glared at the two wounded soldiers. Each slowly grabbed one leg of their dead mate, carried him from two sides, and walked as swiftly as they could, further into North. The head of the dead soldier was lopsided and swung up and down from the torn throat as he was taken away to his own land.

Kaori was at a loss for words; she had never been scared as then ever before. Her fright was not at the sight of the soldier's death which she had half witnessed, but at the sight of a bleeding Saeba. Her voice sounded like a strangled whisper,  
>"Oh Saeba, you are hurt"<br>He approached her with slow, dangerous steps; he was too close. Kaori began to anticipate the consequence of disobeying the Monster.  
>"I know I should have stayed there but... <strong>ah!<strong>"  
>With one upward jerk from his snout, Saeba had pulled Kaori face-down on his back, and he leaped towards the safer part of the realm. For a moment, Kaori could not believe she was being carried off like a damsel in distress, but she grabbed on to a patch of his thick fur so as not to fall off his back. With the unbelievable pace at which Saeba was tearing through the wind, Kaori had to close her eyes for fear they would weep as a rush of air kept attacking them.<p>

Saeba carelessly threw her below the Bussing Trees. Kaori sat up on her elbows, and then on her breech, anxiously hoping that Saeba would not hit her. He thunderously bawled,  
>"What were you thinking?!"<br>She stared at him with wide, astonished eyes. He circled her like a prey, growling and sneering,  
>"Useless, reckless, tactless, stupid woman - you disobeyed my orders and put us both at risk. If you had inherited a smidgen of good sense and intelligence from Makimura, you would have done as I had told you to. But you chose to act like a damned fool and followed me despite of my warning. I knew this would happen; I knew you were too pig-headed to act on your wisdom and not your instincts. You do not possess any wisdom though, do you? Running after me like a desperate lover... what were you hoping for? A battle with our backs to each other? You might have been killed out there! Sentimental, unprofessional, foolhardy..."<br>**"SHUT YOUR SNOUT!" **  
>Kaori snapped. Poor Saeba.<br>**"YOU UNGRATEFUL, CRUEL, RUDE BEAST! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME SO?!" **  
>Her voice was louder than Saeba's own voice had ever been. Unknowingly, he cowered when the terrifying red-headed girl scolded him, standing in his face.<br>"I came after you for your safety's concern, and this is how you repay me? By calling me a fool? You ought to be spanked with an oar! Who are you to tell me where I am to go and not to go? I am your Healer, not your servant, and you shall treat me with dignity, or I swear to God, I shall kill you someday! Do you understand me?!"  
>She was red with fury, and her hands were on her hips. Saeba half nodded under her harsh presence.<br>"Go to your cave and wait for me there!"  
>At this last turbulent yell, Saeba trotted towards his cave like a frightened pup. That girl was more intimidating than all the demons hell accommodated.<p>

After a short while, Kaori entered A Lady's Breech with an armload of tree bark and leaves. She threw those on the cold floor of the cave and proceeded to remove some medicinal contents from her gunny sack. Without a word to Saeba, she went away, and came back with a torch. Saeba avoided looking her in the eye as she stuck the torch in a crevice.  
>"Come forth"<br>Saeba stood and walked towards her. She sat with her knees folded and bade him to sit as well. The light from the torch exposed the ugliness of Saeba's wound, and Kaori's heart sunk. She passed her hand above his wound, and Saeba nearly shrugged her hand off himself.  
>"I am trying to make sure that is the only wound you received"<br>"It is the only one"  
>"Are you sure of that?"<br>"Yes"  
>His voice was at a low pitch, almost humble. Kaori placed one hand above Saeba's wound, and took a piece of <em>bo<em> tree bark in another. She mumbled while she nursed him,  
>"You ought to be glad that I had read of this practice just yesterday. It might sting a bit but... <em>oi!<em>"  
>Saeba had moved away from her. Kaori felt sorry and guilty.<br>"If you stay still, it will not hurt as much. Saeba? I cannot remove that blade while you are standing there. Come hither"  
>He resumed the position he had occupied earlier, and by the light, stole a few glances at Kaori's illumined face. She seemed to be looking around for an alternative, or a solution.<br>"_Um_... here. Put your head upon my lap so I may see the wound clearly"  
>He stared at her.<br>"What now? Do put your head here, Saeba. I have to remove that blade"  
>Gingerly, reluctantly, and with a nervous excitement he had not felt in years, Saeba rested his head on Kaori's lap. He closed his eyes in peace; her lap was soft and comfortable. This was a pleasant new sensation, the warmth of a woman. If only...<br>"There you go! Oh God, this blade would have rotted inside you if I had not removed it!"  
>She had removed the blade painlessly while he was in rapture of her thrilling proximity. Saeba moved away from her; he had already begun to feel the pain of leaving the comfort of her lap.<br>"Now I just have to dress the wound and you will be fine as a fiddle in two days"  
>He wondered if the beautiful albeit queer human knew what thoughts were passing through his mind. Could she not know that, for part of a minute, she had stirred a little storm in a monster's heart? Did she even consider him a prospective male?<br>"All done!", she announced in triumph.  
>"I thank you"<br>He was distraught and hoped that she could not deduce from his countenance the dead hopes passing through him to her. This girl was different; he had known it the moment they met.  
>"You should not thank me", she lowered her eyes, and reassembled her equipment, "I did put us in jeopardy, and I am sorry I did so. 'Tis... it would not be too presumptuous to say that had I not spoken when you were being attacked, you would not be wounded. This is my wrongdoing"<br>"It..."  
>"But how could you expect me to stay here?", she interrupted him, "I could not, I just could not leave you alone when you were about to face our enemies. I had to be there with you. Partners do not desert each other. I am your partner, am I not?"<br>"You are"  
>She smiled and stood up,<br>"Well... it is time for your mid-day rest. I will be by the river, and I shall wake you for lunch. Good afternoon"

The moment she was out of sight, Saeba expelled a highly audible sigh.  
>"My hearty apologies for the disturbance, Saeba. I came to fetch my gunny bag, that is all"<br>He watched in immobility as she re-entered the cave and retrieved her gunny sack. Stubborn and pretty though this girl was, there was something about her. Something that...  
>"Sleep, Saeba. I shan't disturb you again"<br>His eyes closed as the serene touch of her smooth palm made his fur stand on edges from back to snout. She had touched him, possibly without considering the effect of her friendly caress. And that was Kaori – stealing hearts without intending to.


	7. A Departure

A/N: A disappointing change in my updating schedule: the story will now be updated once a week. What can I say? Life is catching up with me and I can rarely make time to have a meal at my leisure these days. That doesn't mean I will abandon the story – never. So, forgive me, and kindly read and review. Thank you. :)

Feedback: _Kayura Yukishiro_ – Stop it, you! Okay, don't. :3 Thank you for your precious review! I am so glad you liked the chapter! ^_^  
><em>neha borkar<em> – Thank you for your review, Neha! This is a tragedy with no place for fluff. :P  
><em>ryoxkaorilover11<em> – Awww! Thank you for your delightful review! I am pleased and eager to please my readers further. :3

Theme: _You Belong To Me_ by Jason Wade – give this song a hark and tell me it doesn't apply to Kaori and Saeba's situation. ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own _City Hunter_ or its characters, nor do I own any of the songs mentioned here.

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><p><span><strong>MY BELOVED MONSTER<strong>

**7. A Departure **

It was their first quarrel, certainly not their last. They bickered over Saeba's battle strategies, which never involved Kaori. They squabbled over Kaori's meddlesome nature. However, they always reconciled; at times, for peace, at other times, for avoiding Kaori's terrifying outbursts. Saeba had learned to let Kaori have her way; she would never let him live otherwise. Kaori had learned to trust Saeba's instincts and presence of mind; hers were poor in comparison. She would dress his wounds, if he had any, most affectionately and cautiously. Saeba enjoyed and looked forward to the rare moments which he could spend in A Lady's Breech, with Kaori's hands nursing him back to health. She never came to know that Saeba had once injured himself on purpose by taking a fall so as to feel the heavenly respite of her hands. They grew accustomed to each other's presence and characteristic quirks, as a wedded couple does within a few months of matrimony. Slowly, unpleasant memories of her life in the shire faded from Kaori's psyche; her life had found a purpose which she took pride and joy in – Saeba.

Thirteen days and three battles later, the Monster and his Healer were to be found sitting by their evening fire, roasting fishes and engrossed in a conversation about the first attack they had survived together. Kaori's vanity urged her to say -  
>"Do you remember how splendidly I employed my healing knowledge to extract that sword from your side?"<br>Saeba had his eyes closed and his face was warm from the heat of the fire.  
>"I would never have had the blade inside me if it were not for you"<br>"You are most ungrateful"  
>"You are most stubborn and vain"<br>"Me – vain? Why, nothing could be farther from the truth! Do you think a vain person would dress in the simplest of clothes and not make use of the rouge and other humbug pastes the ladies apply to their faces?"  
>"Your vanity rests in your pride of being the Healer"<br>"Well", she shrugged her shoulders, "It is a man's job after all. And so far, I have done nothing that would make anyone suppose that I was unworthy of my brother's previous title and occupation"  
>"I did not reproach you for your vanity. You are justified in being proud of what you have accomplished; compromising me is included in that"<br>"Oh, you are such a child! You talk as if you had never been injured before"  
>"I had not"<br>"Not once?"  
>"Never"<br>"Then... then", she raised her brows, "When did my brother heal you?"  
>Saeba's demeanour was calm as it had begun to be whenever he was in Kaori's company. He said, his eyes steady on the flickering fire,<br>"He healed me in ways no mortal can imagine. He made me less of a weapon and more of a being"  
>Kaori's thoughtful gaze shifted from the fire towards her partner.<br>"You adored him"  
>Saeba lay still, and without a response. Kaori noted the mellow glint of his dark eyes; she knew by now that it was a sign of his sombre thoughts. She exclaimed, with the intention to cheer up Saeba,<br>"As you will come to adore me! Do not fret, Saeba, I shall guard you from all evil! You can bet on that"  
>He stifled a smile. Kaori was standing; the burnt skewers were in her hands to be thrown away.<br>"You have never gambled, have you?"  
>Saeba lied,<br>"No. What does it involve?"  
>"Oh, it is such fun!", her back was to the fire while she disposed off the skewers, "I will bring a deck of cards when I come back, and I will teach you every card game I know. There is roulette, poker, bridge..."<br>"When you come back?"  
>She turned to him,<br>"Yes, when I come back after my leave. I will be leaving to-morrow"  
>"You have been here for a fortnight"<br>"I have"  
>Kaori plopped down to her side of the fire. Had it really been fifteen days since she had left home and come to the realm? And was she indeed going to leave the realm to-morrow? Blazing balls of fire, she was going home! She had no reason to be so sceptical and gloomy at the thought of being back in the shire. It was a mandatory leave from the realm; even if it were not, what reason could she possibly have to stay back? At this thought, her longing gaze flitted over to where Saeba was sitting.<br>_'Though it would kill him to admit it, I know that he would be lonesome without me. And who would make him his supper? Who would heal him if there was an attack while I was away?'_  
>"Saeba?"<br>He looked at her worried and beautiful face. She went on,  
>"I shall leave tomorrow, and I do not know when I shall return"<br>"You will return in three days; Makimura always did"  
>"Oh. I had forgotten", she looked at the fire, "What shall you do while I am away?"<br>"I shall enjoy my freedom"  
>She smiled a scornful smile, which soon lapsed into a genuine simper.<br>"Well, I shall miss you terribly"  
>He looked up in haste and Kaori gave him a warm smile. She said,<br>"You know, I might be juxtaposing, but your cold manner reminds me of someone. Oh, never mind; he is a gentleman and you are not"  
>"Who is he?"<br>"Sir Umibozu – the bravest knight in the kingdom!"  
>Saeba smirked audibly,<br>"Put a cat at his feet and you shall see how brave he is"  
>"Put a ca-", Kaori frowned, "Have you met Sir Umibozu? But he told me that only the Healers have made your acquaintance in the past. Horses' hooves! Was he a Healer too, Saeba?"<br>In answer to her, Saeba rose and began to walk towards his dwelling.  
>"It is late. Are you coming or are you not?"<br>Kaori lifted her gunny sack and followed him to the cave. She asked, as he leapt upwards the quarried stones,  
>"You did not answer my question. How come do you know Sir Umibozu?"<br>"Go to sleep and let me"  
>Saeba stretched on his haunches in his side of the cave, released a yawn which exposed his dangerously sharp teeth, curled up, and closed his eyes. From her side of A Lady's Breech, Kaori observed her supposedly asleep partner. An unwelcome thought passed through her mind -<br>'_He will be all alone here to-morrow'_  
>Knowing far too well a grim reality of life, which people called solitude, it pained Kaori to have to leave Saeba alone in the realm. He was a brute; he was ungrateful. But he was her friend, her partner, and possibly, the only companion she would have for the rest of her life. It was not surprising to her that she had become so fond of him in fifteen days; people had fallen in love in a lesser span of time.<br>_'What am I thinking?'_  
>She scolded herself for that last thought, and shut her eyes tight.<p>

A queer silence reigned in the cave reminiscently named as A Lady's Breech. Saeba perceived the warm rays of sun upon his face, and opened his eyes. He usually awoke to the snoring sounds Kaori made. However, that morning was different. When he looked across the cave to find a red bundle of hair visible from above a flimsy, grey hued shawl, he was disappointed. He was by himself in the cave; Kaori was nowhere to be seen. With a frantic rush of angst akin to that which he felt before entering a battle, Saeba ran out of his cave, leaping, looking around in desperation, with one fear etched across his face -  
><em>'She is gone'<em>  
>He dashed at a speed he had seldom employed before. His legs were but flashing shadows; his mane flew from his neck as if he was fending off a storm. Such was his anxiety and pace in running towards the passage. He found the clearing, past which at five steps lay the invisible passage. Dismissing the consequences of approaching the passage, Saeba sprang at where the passage was. He fell back on meeting an unseen resistance. Yet, he struck at the passage again and again, hoping that it would give in, and he would, at the least, catch a fleeting glance of her. He lowered his head and scratched at the passage with his paws. The barrier did not give in. Saeba returned with a heavy heart and tread.<p>

She was gone. How could she have left without hearing what he had been yearning to say? But how could she know he had something to say? And how dare he imagine things, forbidden things, which he had to say to her? Perhaps, he thought, it was in her best interests that she left soon. In the time he was going to have to spend without her, he would prepare his weakening mind to forget all the emotions Kaori had evoked in him. He would treat her as coldly as was possible. He would never treat her as a woman again, but merely as a colleague. He would do that, for her sake.  
>"Where have you been to? I have been looking all over for you"<br>It was her. She was standing under the Bussing Trees, her patented gunny sack over her shoulder. Oh, if it were not for his talons and all the ghastly parts of his body, Saeba would have embraced her for simply being there, under the Bussing Trees. He said,  
>"You did not leave"<br>"How could I leave without bidding you a farewell?"  
>He wished to nod his head; he knew well he would look idiotic doing so and thus refrained from nodding. Kaori said,<br>"Well, it is time for me to leave, I believe"  
>"Y-yes"<br>"Farewell, Saeba"  
>"Farewell"<br>She was stalling; he could see it.  
>"Do not eat anything ridiculous"<br>"I shan't"  
>"Do employ caution when fighting"<br>"Surely"  
>Her eyes were beseeching,<br>"Do not die without me"  
>"If you wish"<br>"Will you not walk with me to the passage?"  
>"No"<br>He swiftly sprinted towards A Lady's Breech, and walked inside. Kaori might have been disappointed, but for the love of God! To see her taking his heart away to a world which he could not enter and the sight of her disappearing through the passage would have given him nightmares for years to come. Therefore, he lay inside his dark cave - morose, depressed and pitiful. There was no doubt about it anymore. It was true. King Kaibara's Monster had fallen. Such cruelty.

'_Tis my folly: for I am but a monster,  
>hoping for an angel to love me<em>.


	8. Home?

Feedback: _neha borkar_ & _ryoxkaorilover11_ – thank you very much for your reviews! I hope I didn't make you wait too long for this update. :3

Disclaimer: I do not own _City Hunter_ or its characters.

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><p><span><strong>MY BELOVED MONSTER<strong>

**8. Home? **

The shire in which the Healer's sister lived was a commonplace country village. The soil was too coarse for bountiful farming; hence, they produced liquor and cloth. The people of the shire were as coarse as its soil. They unwelcomed every idea which opposed their sense of supremacy and which challenged the authority of their king. The capital was but three miles away from the shire, yet the latter outdid the former in patriotism. The shire people were defensive of their actions, of their rudeness, of their king. They had lived through generations of near starvation and poverty of which only King Kaibara had rid them of. Thus it was acceptable that they worshipped him more than their Christian God, and despised every person who reminded them of the kingdom's shortcomings. They had their very own enemy of the state: Kaori Makimura.  
>Her brother had raised the red-headed tramp in the manner which one would employ in raising a boy. That could have been forgiven. However, Hideyuki Makimura had dared to question the King's policies. He was not foolish enough to express his discontent among the public, but a gypsy woman staying outside the Makimuras' cottage and under its shadow had overheard Hideyuki saying to Kaori that the King was not as great as the people made him to be. He had told the girl that the neighbouring kingdom of King Nogami was not evil and Satanic as the people believed. He had asserted that King Nogami did not condone of the King's reign and was hence willing to investigate further into King Kaibara's alleged sorcery, in the memory of the old kingdom's friendship which the latter had destroyed on commencing his reign. Upon being asked by his sister as to how he came to hold such information, Hideyuki Makimura had said -<br>_"I have a person in King Nogami's kingdom that I can trust blindfolded over a cliff, Kaori. There has to be an end to this hypnotic rule of King Kaibara. He is holding back some vital history and we, the people, deserve to know the truth. We are not lambs. If only the people can be acquainted with the truth, they will be free. So will he"_

King Nogami's kingdom and their kingdom had had a friendship in the past – bah! Hideyuki Makimura was a liar and a renegade. So much for the kind, honest Healer with the pince-nez! The responsible citizens of the shire had already begun to hatch a plan to execute him as a traitor; God was more vigilant though. He wiped that infidel off the face of the earth in an attack by the same soldiers whose kingdom he was an ally of. Divine justice indeed. Nevertheless, what of the waif he had left behind? Waif? The fearsome red-headed girl? They knew that she lacked the subtlety of her brother, but she had astounded them. After her brother's death, the red-headed snippet had led a quite life, assumed the position of her dead sibling, and devoted herself to the kingdom's defence. Never a word against the King she spoke! If she did in the future, the sincere citizens, who had their minds set on killing Makimura, they could accomplish their mission without the slight hesitance. This time, a head would surely fly, and it would be the head of the sister.

Kaori had banished all thought of a political uprising upon her brother's death. She had buried his ideals by his side. She only wished to be what he was, but in a way which did not threaten her or her loved one's lives. Yet they were repulsed by her! The women folk avoided her for she was _"...not a lady that! A lady does not play with scrawny lads from the street or keep her hair cropped like a man's!"_  
>The men were all aware of her late brother's political inclinations, and thus always eyed her with suspicion to catch the slightest hint of rebellion. She was exhausted; she had given up on them long ago. They were sheep. She would simply live her life, cherish the time spent with her friends, cook wholesome food, marry someone who did not belittle her, bear his children, live long to be an old grandmother, and die. The shire people's scornful glares and hateful murmurs had melted away all her ideas of adventure and heroism – or so she believed.<p>

Someone had aroused in her the aforementioned old sense of adventure. Someone had appreciated her scalding temper. Someone, who seemed to be from another world yet so familiar, had made her life in the realm a happy struggle. It was of that someone that Kaori reminisced while she crossed the path and walked towards the shire library. There was a sun-browned lad in rags playing with his friends besides the library wall. Kaori called to him before entering the doors,  
>"Oi, Joaquin! Won't you spare any flying kisses for your sweetheart?"<br>He looked up from his marble game and grinned at her,  
>"I will give you a real kiss when I grow up and have a sovereign, Kaori, you will see!"<br>She laughed and pushed the doors open,  
>"And I shall wait with bated breath for that glorious day!"<br>At the sound of the large doors being thrown open, Kazue looked up from her studies at the counter. She about shrieked in joy,  
>"Kaori!"<br>"Hush", Kaori put a finger on her lips which were sweetly parted in a smile,  
>"Silence in the library"<br>"Oh, darling girl!"  
>Kazue threw her arms around Kaori, who put her arms around her in response. She shook Kaori with a giddy feeling of relief,<br>"Oh, you are here. You are alive"  
>Kaori released herself from the fair arms,<br>"Surely I am alive. You were foolish to think that I would die in the realm"  
>"Your brother died there", Kazue said.<br>She then shook her head admonishing herself,  
>"Forgive me for I am a fool. Let us not speak a word about your horrid occupation. Tell me – how long shall you be here?"<br>Kaori recalled Saeba's words,  
>"Three days"<br>Kazue's brow rose in indignation and so did her voice.  
>"Just three bloody-"<br>"Kazue, three days is too much a time to be away if you ask me"  
>"Away from what?!"<br>"Sa-", Kaori bit her lower lip, "From the realm. I am needed there"  
>"You disappoint me", Kazue scowled, "Never mind; I forgive you for being more fond of your work than of your friend who has been pining for you since the very moment you left. Tut, tut! Shut your beautiful mouth now and wait here. I will get you your key"<br>Kaori gave Kazue a wan smile and looked around herself in the library. There was no one else present other than the owner and herself.  
>"Such a tiny waist, yet it looks strong enough for child-bearing"<br>The voice had come from behind Kaori's right ear, as two sturdy hands encircled her waist. Not bothering to glance at the mischief maker, Kaori swung her gunny sack over the top of her right shoulder and it struck nothing but her own back. She turned around in haste and found a man measuring her further below.  
>"You have wonderfully plump buttocks, my lady"<br>"You bastardly-"  
>Kaori's hand froze as the man stood up and looked into her eyes. He had made her a captive with a hypnotic gaze. She looked at his eyes, bluer than the sea, and wondered if she would drown. His head was crowned with golden locks prettier than any shire beauty's, and the soft curve of his lips made for a taunting and seductive smile. His angular, manly features could not hide his angelic charm – angel, yes! He looked like an angel. With a smile more amused than its predecessor, he said to Kaori -<br>"Greetings, fair... _**ow!**_"  
>Kaori had whacked him on the head with her gunny sack. He lay at her feet in a dazed state while she fumed.<br>"How dare you touch me, you whore-mongering, rat-eating, tar-blooded piece of putrid..."  
>"Mick?"<br>Kaori looked back and found Kazue staring at the rumpled man near her feet. Kazue said,  
>"Kaori, what..."<br>"Aha!"  
>He had risen in an instant and had his hands around Kazue's waist.<br>"The auburn haired miss might have more ample buttocks, Kazue, but you have a waist slightly more slender than hers"  
>He stood up with a finger on his chin and a furrowed brow.<br>"Hm. That leaves us with a tie. I will have to measure your breasts, ladies, to determine a winner!"  
>He slumped again to the ground as Kazue hit him on the head with a heavy book, and flared her nostrils as she did so. Kaori stood bewildered as her friend gestured towards the deviant,<br>"Kaori, meet His Royal Highness – Prince Mick"  
>Kaori nearly gasped as he was by her side again and was caressing her hand.<br>"Charmed, my lady"  
>He said and bowed to kiss her hand. Kaori grew more uncomfortable as his kisses went upwards along the length of her arm. She looked at Kazue for help, who snarled like a wildebeest.<br>"Mick Angel!"  
>"Yes, dear?"<br>He was suddenly sober, and looked more like a gentleman than he had ever looked before. Kazue said to him,  
>"Wait by the counter for me"<br>"Yes, dear"  
>He obeyed and Kaori spoke before Kazue could.<br>"What is a Prince doing here?", she whispered.  
>Kazue had one hand on her brow,<br>"He is courting me"  
>"Is he?"<br>Kaori leaned sideways and saw Mick Angel focusing devoutly on Kazue's behind. Kazue waved a hand,  
>"He is rather difficult, I know, but he is wonderful when he is not fooling around. Anyhow, I was about to tell you that we shall be dining to-night at Miki's alehouse"<br>"I have other ideas. How about you and Miki come to my house to-night for supper? I will make the most delicious meal I can!"  
>Kazue smiled,<br>"That would be lovely!"  
>"May I too come for dinner?"<br>Prince Mick had appeared from behind Kazue, with a childlike 'O' of his mouth and pleading eyes. Kazue slammed her elbow in his face without looking back.  
>"No!"<p>

After Miki had held Kaori in a choking embrace at the doorstep of the Makimura cottage, the three friends made their way into the kitchen. Miki and Kazue helped Kaori with the supper preparations; they had arrived early for that purpose. Though the cultured world expected that young women ate only a thin fraction of what was served to them as food, Kaori staunchly opposed the dictum. She added heaps of fragrant rice and rich gravy to their plates. Kazue took the second leg from the roost and devoured it in a carnivorous fashion. She said, her mouth overflowing with delicious juices,  
>"You are going to make a damn fine wife to someone someday, Kaori"<br>Kaori smiled,  
>"I do not believe that is possible"<br>"Why?", Miki struggled to chew and talk at once.  
>"Is it not obvious?", Kaori said, "I shall be away for a fortnight after every three days. Which man would like to marry a wife who has to travel for her work?"<br>Kazue's face fell on hearing that. She chomped down on her food furiously.  
>"That reminds me", Kaori said, "I will come by tomorrow at the library for some translations... Latin from my brother's books"<br>"Why would books on healing practices be in Latin? They have all been translated to the King's English", Miki said.  
>Kaori said,<br>"Yes, the manual is in the familiar tongue. However, the notes my brother wrote on the margins are in Latin. It is queer"  
>"Do you remember any words from the notes?", Kazue asked.<br>"I do not remember clearly. It was something along the lines of... um, _dues ex machina_... _in propria persona_... and, uh... _compos mentis_..."  
>"That sounds like a spell, Kaori"<br>"A spell?", Kaori said, "My brother was a witch?"  
>Kazue rolled her eyes,<br>"Witches do not speak Latin, you ninny. Latin is used in old sorcerer's spells. And don't you dare accuse your poor brother of being a sorcerer"  
>"Why would he be writing spells in his healing manual then?"<br>Kazue and Miki shrugged their shoulders together. Miki said,  
>"I say, you should go to the library and do the translations first thing to-morrow"<p>

Once her friends had departed for the night, Kaori sat herself in the parlour. It was a small chamber which served as a drawing room for seating guests. The guests were gone, and they had helped her clean the kitchen after dinner as well. With nothing much to do since she had cleaned the house on her arrival at noon, Kaori seized her gunny sack and produced the healing manual. The Latin notes had to be of some importance. Her brother never made a note of things unless it was absolutely crucial for him to remember them. Perhaps, he had some translations in his other books.  
>Kaori put the manual on the table top, grabbed the candle, and opened the lowest drawer in the dresser. Her brother kept his books there when he was alive. Kaori had searched through them to find books on healing, which was when she had found the healing manual. The thought of leafing through his ledgers and record books had never come to her in her haste to leave for the realm for the first time. She opened the ledgers and note books one by one, but found nothing of healing remedies and practices in either of them. She opened the third and last ledger, leafed through it briskly, and was about to put it away with the others when a letter fell into her lap. She spread the letter on the table top and placed the candle beside it. The letter read, in a sophisticated and elegant hand-writing:<p>

"_Dearest Hideyuki,  
>Forgive me for writing to you when you had expressly forbidden me from doing so. There is an urgent matter which requires your attention, my dear.<br>As you had suggested, I have been consulting the records of all the friendly royal families. There is a glitch, as you called it. The predecessors of King Kaibara were not his parents, but his brother and sister-in-law. They had two sons, of whom King Kaibara claims to have had only one – Prince Mick. There is no mention of the former King and Queen's deaths, nor of the elder Prince's. I am afraid that your suspicions might be true.  
>There is something else much perturbing to me and Father. Rumour has it that there is a trade of a dangerous potion being carried through between the two kingdoms. If it is true, we both know that Kaibara has a hand in this. Do come soon and help us get to the roots of this affair.<br>I hope you are well, and so is your sister. I await your arrival with all of my fears held back on a leash. Do I need say it again... I love you. _

_Yours forever and after,  
>Saeko"<em>

"Saeko?"  
>Kaori looked away from the letter. It was too illicit to hold her gaze anymore. Who was this Saeko who knew so intimately of their kingdom's affairs? She had mentioned Kaori in the letter! Her brother never had a sweetheart; surely not one who discussed political affairs in a love letter.<br>"Saeko, Saeko, Saeko, Saeko – where have I heard that name before?"  
>Kaori ransacked her mind to recall where she had heard that lovely name before. Was it amid gossip? Yes, yes. Amid which gossip though? Saeko. Saeko. Saeko. Saeko...<br>_"He has a herd of daughters which are mere seductresses, I say. The eldest one is said to be the most cunning and charming. Her name is..."_  
>"Princess Saeko!", Kaori exclaimed, "Daughter of King Nogami!"<br>The most horrifying scandal in the history of both kingdoms had begun to unfurl.


	9. Revelation

A/N: I wish for you and yours a very jolly New Year, beloved readers! :D  
>This has been a rather fantastic year, has it not? In fact, every year since 2000 has been amazing for the <em>City Hunter<em> universe. The manga, movies, or the show might have been no more, but we, the fans, have kept it alive through our cosplay, our fan-art and our fan-fiction, of course! That's the fandom spirit, and I commend each one of you for preserving that love and devotion for _City Hunter_. You deserve a _mokkori_ - I mean, a standing ovation! Uh... Happy New Year! :P

Feedback: _neha borkar_ – Thank you for your support, my dear, and I wish you the best for your upcoming endeavours! :)  
><em>Kayura Yukishiro<em> – Thank you for your review, _Kayura_-san! You know how I look forward to it. Happy New Year! :D  
><em>ScriptAngel <em>– Thank you for your reviews, my friend! And I am delighted that you not only noticed but liked the cover I made for this story. :3 Happy New Year! ^_^  
><em>ryoxkaorilover11<em> – Greetings of the holiday season and a belated Happy Christmas to you! And a very Happy New Year as well! I hope you like this chapter and have a fabulous year ahead. :D

Disclaimer: I do not own _City Hunter_ or its characters.

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><p><span><strong>MY BELOVED MONSTER<strong>

**9. Revelation **

"Do you have any book or record of King Nogami's kingdom?"  
>On being asked such an inauspicious and unexpected question by Kaori, Kazue's initial smile of greeting was replaced with an expression of horror. She looked around though she knew they were alone in the library, and scolded Kaori.<br>"Why on earth would you wish to read of the evil one's kingdom, Kaori? Are you in delirium?"  
>Kaori seemed unshakenby the reprimand and accusation. Her face was grave, and her eyes were pale owing to a lack of rest. Kazue had seldom seen her friend look so determined and ominous. Kaori said,<br>"I need it, Kazue, desperately so"  
>The librarian's daughter softened at the note of despair in Kaori's voice.<br>"My dear, what is there to be known? He has a multitude of daughters whom he uses as seductresses to tempt his enemies and he has an abundantly fertile wife for a queen. Surely you know that"  
>"No", Kaori moaned, "The real one!"<br>"Real one? That is as real as..."  
>Kaori held up her hand for silence. She frantically spun around gazing at the books and stopped short of a full circle.<br>"Where are the history books?"  
>Kazue pointed towards the giant shelves on her far left,<br>"The shelf in the second row closest to the wall"  
>"Thank you"<br>Kazue stepped out from behind her counter,  
>"Will you tell me why you are suddenly so interested in King Nogami's family history? Frankly, Kaori, I..."<br>She stopped askance as Kaori pulled out humongous volumes of royal history and piled them along the length of the reading table. Possibly unaware that a bewildered Kazue was peering over her shoulder, Kaori sat on a chair and opened all the history books in the library one after another. On observing her, Kazue concluded that she had been taken up by a fit of midnight madness; thus, she had rushed into the library first thing in the morning. Kazue's cautious hand laid itself on Kaori's drooped shoulder.  
>"Is everything fine, dear?"<br>Kaori slammed the last volume shut and groaned,  
>"It is all the same"<br>"What is?"  
>"King Nogami and all the other rulers are evil, corrupt and godless – that is what all the history books say"<br>"That is true! Why else do you believe our King has shut all these encroachers out? They wish to enslave us. They want a war to feed their appetite for violence"  
>"Oh Kazue, Kazue, Kazue, Kazue"<br>"What?", she exclaimed, feeling insulted at the patronised tone of voice.  
>Kaori began putting the volumes back in their designated places; her friend was in a state by then.<br>"Will you bloody tell me what is going on? Why are you reading – or flipping through – history volumes? And what is this rubbish about King Nogami?"  
>"This is about his daughter, and about us"<br>Kazue screwed up her face in a scowl of pathetic confusion and opened her mouth to produce a sharp witticism. However, she could only say -  
>"What?"<br>"Never mind now", Kaori said, "Where are your Latin studies?"  
>Kazue feebly pointed to an opposite shelf. Kaori thanked her and strode towards it.<p>

* * *

><p>The mysterious letter from Princess Saeko had been a bolt in the blue of Kaori's life. It could have been another person by the name of Saeko, but Kaori remembered how in secret circles her brother had been accused of being affiliated with King Nogami. She did not know which to believe – that an evil princess had been in love with her brother or that her brother had truly been a traitor of the kingdom.<br>Rebuking her own self for the latter thought, Kaori believed the first. Burning the midnight fire, she perused the contents of the letter and tried her best to make sense of what had been written. She had to take a quill to note down all her possible inferences, one of which being - _King Kaibara was a liar and a murderer_. On having derived as many hints as possible from the letter, Kaori ransacked her brother's belongings to find a proof of his association with Princess Saeko. She rummaged through papers, bills and ledgers, eager to find a shred of evidence in favour of the conclusions she had made. At last, when the sun had partly risen, Kaori found a tiny pocket-book hidden between stacks of old literature. She opened it to find more scribbling in Latin and a folded clipping. Kaori unfolded the clipping which had been reduced to a petty size by being folded six times. She eased the wrinkles and laid it on the table. Much of the savage spirit, that had possessed her in the night time to investigate the suspicious matter, had disowned her body. She threw the windows open, winced at the pain in her knees (which were bended for a major part of the night), and sat before the table. The sunlight falling on the clipping presented a picture to Kaori which astounded her.

Kaori leaned over the clipping, which seemed to have been part of a papyrus painting where the rest of the body had been ripped off and only the head remained. Kaori studied the picture with undisguised astonishment. It was the face of a handsome man, one who seemed young and brooding. A small lock of his thick black hair fell above the centre of his forehead. His nose was sharp and added an artistic touch to his rugged features. Kaori's mouth went dry on studying his smile – a mocking, lustful smirk of two curved lips. His eyes were majestically black, and yet surprisingly profound. Kaori forced herself to look away before she could seek the eyes of the picture. Her hand reached to her breast; she could feel her heart drum. She glanced at the picture and looked away again. The man's eyes seemed to be inviting her into an embarrassing fantasy.  
>"Oh!"<br>She leaned over the table again and confirmed her suspicion. The man was wearing a golden crown! Kaori took Princess Saeko's letter in her hands and said aloud,  
>"Yes, yes! This must be the Prince she was referring to"<br>She folded the clipping the way it was before the dark and lovely Prince could hypnotise her further.  
><em>'Could he really be dead?'<em>  
>She dismissed the thought as one of secondary importance to the investigation she was conducting. She took the small pocket-book and copied its contents onto the paper she had been using.<br>"Prince Ryo" – those were the only English words in her brother's pocket-book.  
><em>'That must be the Prince's name'<em>  
>For another hour, Kaori had sat among the piling mess of papers she had been creating from the night before. It seemed to her that she had done all in her power to get to the roots of this possible conspiracy. She yet had to translate and make sense of her brother's Latin notes.<br>"No", she whispered to herself.  
>She must take an analytical approach to the problem at hand: cross-check the facts and then provide a theory. That's what her brother would have done.<p>

* * *

><p>Kaori had failed to establish the facts as had been presented in Princess Saeko's letter and those two words: Prince Ryo. Therefore, she rushed forward to the translation part to derive more facts or ideas. She produced the paper from her breast pocket and laid it across the table under her quill. Kazue provided her with an ink-pot and sat by her side.<br>"You are not going to tell me what this is about, are you?"  
>"All in time, Kazue", Kaori said.<br>"Brother kills brother"  
>"What?" – it was Kaori's turn to frown.<br>Kazue placed her finger on the first phrase in Kaori's copied notes. She repeated,  
>"Brother kills brother – that is the English translation of this phrase"<br>Kaori gave her a bemused glance and noted the translation below the original Latin phrase. She gave the paper to Kazue,  
>"Would you please translate the rest of it for me?"<br>The librarian's daughter smiled in triumph,  
>"I would love to do so"<br>"I thank you"  
>"Let us see... <em>hmm<em>"  
>Kazue took the quill from Kaori and wrote beneath the second line of Latin words: <em>Angel Dust is poison<em>.  
>"Angel Dust?", Kaori said, "I am sure I have heard those words before"<br>"It sounds like a draught"  
>Kaori stood up,<br>"Where are your books on hexes, or any other subject related to that?"  
>Kazue seemed obtrusive,<br>"Are you unaware that books on sorcery are prohibited in the kingdom? Sorcery is Devil's worship"  
>"Do you have the books or do you not?"<br>Kazue stood up, pushed the chair back in its place, shook her head in annoyance, and went towards the door behind the librarian's counter. Kaori saw the door close and resumed her seat to conduct the translations herself.

With much arduousness and determination, Kaori had successfully translated a major part of her brother's notes. One part of it was the description of Angel Dust; Kaori was sure after reading that it was indeed a hex or a potion. The other part was lyrical, a poem perhaps; she had deciphered only a part of it. The sound of a creaking door echoed in the library and Kaori looked over her shoulder to see Kazue bringing forth an ugly, old book which was covered with mould at the spine. Kazue set it down next to the Latin dictionary with a loud noise and clapped the dust off her hands.  
>"It is twice as heavier as it looks"<br>Kaori hid her disgust,  
>"Where on earth has it been?"<br>"It is one of the few books that were not burnt in the great fire fifty years ago. Father inherited it from his father who had a penchant for sorcery. It has always been in the cellar"  
>Kazue took the paper from beneath Kaori's hand and read,<br>"Angel Dust, is it? _Deus ex machina_, _monstrum_ – have you not translated this... poem?"  
>"I could not find most its words in the dictionary"<br>"But are we sure it is a poem?"  
>"You said so yourself"<br>"No", Kazue shook her head, and raised a finger, "If Angel Dust is a potion, this might be a spell, Kaori"  
>Kaori sprang upon the revolting book and opened it amid clouds of pungent odour. Kazue stepped away and waved the paper before her nose.<br>"Brews... Hexes... Potions – page CCXIV", Kaori read.  
>She turned to the page with potions and found Angel Dust with ease. She read and nodded to Kazue,<br>"The characteristics are true to what has been written in the translation. Consumption of this potion seemingly turns a person invincible and makes him a superhuman. It is called Angel Dust because it gives one the powers of an angel in combat but the Devil's ferocity and talons which went as deep as pikes. The procedure for its preparation is given as well"  
>"Are you trying to make a potion?"<br>"Hush", Kaori read on, "The book says that only a wizard who has made a sacrifice of pure blood can concoct Angel Dust"  
>"That is horrible!"<br>"The potion takes twenty years to brew"  
>"Dear me! Who would stir a cauldron for that long?"<br>Kaori thought bitterly,  
><em>'King Kaibara – he has secretly traded Angel Dust with King Nogami's kingdom'<em>  
>"Tell me more!", Kazue urged.<br>Kaori read,  
>"Angel Dust can be used to prepare an indestructible weapon which would strike fear in the heart of whoever gazes upon it. It requires a spell which is on page... here it is. Bring me the paper! Quick!"<br>Kazue handed the paper to Kaori and stood behind her chair, intrigued by the magical affair. She read over Kaori's shoulder,  
>"By God, it is a human spell! The book says that one has to feed the subject Angel Dust since infancy till there is visible progress in the form of physical growth and prowess. Oh dear – the subject will obey the wizard only if he has been fed the wizard's blood in his infancy. Oh God!"<br>She was about to shut the book but Kaori's hand intervened. Kazue stepped away in disgust and covered her own mouth, while Kaori made sure that the notes in her brother's pocket book matched the spell word to word. Kazue asked, a quivering hint of desolation in her voice,  
>"Kaori, I beg of you to tell me – why are you reading about all of this?"<br>"I do not know anymore"

After assuaging Kazue's fears and promising her to share the truth of the matter with her someday, Kaori was back in her cottage. She had cleaned the clutter created last night, and later, could be found sipping tea in the kitchen chamber. There was no doubt in her mind as to the treachery of King Kaibara. He had killed his brother and his brother's family. He had conducted the trade of Angel Dust with neighbouring kingdoms. How wicked a substance Angel Dust could be in the wrong hands. And Lord, the powers it gave the one who consumed it!  
><em>'Talons?'<em>  
>Her tea-cup fell to the floor and shattered as the image came back to her.<br>_'No'_  
>Her brother, her dearest brother, dead in the mortuary with gaping wounds in his chest. Could King Kaibara have traded Angel Dust to the invading soldiers to get rid of...<br>"No!"  
>She stood up and walked back and forth in the room. Her head was throbbing; she would go mad if it were true. She tried to compose herself.<br>"This is not about Brother. This is about King Kaibara's secrets. Th-this is about the Prince. Yes. The Prince"  
>She removed the folded picture from her breast pocket and laid it with trembling fingers on the table. Her mind was blurred with possible revelations about her brother's accidental death; she could barely concentrate her attention on the dead Prince. She steeled herself by mumbling an incoherent prayer and looked at the Prince's crumpled picture. There was something about the Prince's face which had stirred her, a hint perhaps. The crown? Initials? What could it be?<br>Kaori met the defiant gaze of the Prince. Defiant, proud, yet with a hint of melancholy, and a far too familiar glint... those did not seem a stranger's eyes. They spoke to her, beckoned her, nearly screamed – _you know me; look into your heart, you know me!_

Kaori gasped and fell back in horror. She gaped at the picture on the table and the mystery exploded.  
><em><strong>'Prince Ryo is Saeba' <strong>_


	10. Her Monster

Feedback: _ScriptAngel _and _neha borkar_ – thank you for your lovely reviews!

Disclaimer: I do not own _City Hunter_ or its characters, nor do I own any of the songs mentioned here.

Theme: _You'll Be in My Heart_ by Phil Collins –  
><em>Why can't they understand the way we feel?<br>They just don't get what they can't explain.  
>I know we're different but deep inside us,<br>we're not that different at all. _

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><p><span><strong>MY BELOVED MONSTER<strong>

**10. Her Monster**

In the magical realm where King Kaibara's Monster had made his stay for years, the sun rose early and bright. The warmth seeped generously into each leaf turning red, as the trees prepared themselves for bearing fruits, made heavy with ripeness and sour stones. The river which hath no beginning nor ending, flew as calmly and serenely as she always had. Across the river, there was a tall pile of quarried grey stone, a pile which served as a climber's step to A Lady's Breech. At the foot of this pile and beneath the long shadows of the Bussing Trees, a beast walked to and fro. He was large, grotesque, terrifying, and strong. His movements were akin to those of a wolf on guard, waiting just for a hunter to disturb his gait so that he might spring upon it. Assault was not as much as the last thing on his mind; he was pacing in trepidation, not in preparation of an attack. His thoughts were fixated on the coming, say _return_, of his partner. Partner - how beautifully the word fitted Kaori! She had been closer to him than his own shadow for the fifteen days they had been together. She had been by his side in the face of imminent danger, and she had let him be... never wishing to change him but merely to improve him. It would have been a struggle in vain had someone tried to convince Saeba of the possibility that there was someone in the world who understood him, his little nuances, his state, and would embrace it all with a smile native of heaven. Oh why did Kaori have to be the way she was? Could she not be identical to the mythical heroines who were charming, alluring, gorgeous, elegant, clever, calm and angelic? No! She had to be sarcastic, rude, boyish, bashful, tactless, impatient and stubborn! Yet he loved her. He did, he did; he would have torn his heart out, thrown it away to stop it from beating in the rhythm of her name. He knew though – he could discard his heart, set his brain on fire, hurl himself into the ocean and choke his breath – whatever remained of him would always love Kaori. And how could he not love her? She was unladylike in the conventional terms, but she was maddeningly exciting! Her laughter, her scathing temper, her mysterious manner of caring, the way her hands restored him to good health no matter how deep a pain he was in – she was a wonderful partner. Saeba was not human, but she made him so. Was that why he was so afraid of being in love with her?  
><em>'She shall return any moment. I mustn't let her see what she has done to me. No – she has not done a thing to me; I am the buffoon who has lost his heart! This is my just punishment, not allowing myself to make love to the only woman I want'<em>

Saeba might have considered for a moment to tear his heart out; the fool knew not that his heart was beyond control. It leaped upwards through his throat and beat like drums in a pagan hymn the moment he perceived Kaori's presence. Saeba inwardly swore and dug his claws into the earth, which was all he could do to keep himself from leaping and submerging Kaori in a lover's embrace. However, there was something amiss; Kaori's face gave it away. Saeba watched her impatiently, and took in the sight of her tall, womanly form approaching him at a pace so slow it made his fur prickle with dread. Kaori held her gunny sack in her left hand, not over her shoulder, and came to a stop in front of him. He hesitated to greet her; it was she who spoke first.  
>"A pleasant day is it not?"<br>"I believe so"  
>Saeba saw the cold, observant manner in which Kaori eyed him, almost as if she were trying to look through him. He noted the animated rise in her voice, yet her tone was eerily steady.<br>"Oh forgive me! I did not greet you in the appropriate manner"  
>Saeba about staggered back a step when Kaori held her skirt and curtsied. She raised her eyes to meet his; he saw hurt.<br>"My humble greetings, Your Royal Highness"  
>The Monster stood dumbfounded. He believed he had misheard. Her eyes assured him that she had indeed extended a royal greeting to him. She knew.<br>"Pardon me! I am such a fool!", she slapped her forehead in a mock fashion, "We are partners. Perhaps my greeting was albeit too formal. Would you be more at ease if I called you Ryo..."  
>Oh, damnation - <strong>she knew!<strong>  
>"...my Prince?"<p>

Kaori watched the bewildered monster stand motionless, and defenceless, before her. His silence hurt her more than she would have anticipated. So it was true.  
>"Kaori, I can explain..."<br>_**"Do not dare to!"**_, she found herself scream.  
>Saeba's jaw was unhinged and Kaori launched headlong into the battle. She restrained herself from striking him down with a blow, partly because she knew she was incapable of it, and partly because stinging pools of tears were forming behind her eyes. She pointed her finger at him in accusation and spluttered,<br>"You... mean and vile and... treacherous... you..."  
>"Kaori..."<br>"Stay away from me! You deceived me! You deceived my brother, the whole kingdom! You lied to us, you tricked us!"  
>"I would never willingly lie to y-"<br>"You did and you must admit it! Oh God", she put a hand on her throat and turned away.  
>She turned around to look at him again and gasped.<br>"To th-think that I almost... that I almost lov... believed in you! Fool that I was to think that I had, at last, found a friend, a soul-mate, someone who understood me and would never deceive me!"  
>"Will you let me explain..."<br>"Over my corpse I will!"  
>She picked up her gunny sack, and spoke freely of what was on her mind.<br>"I would rather kill myself than dishonour my brother's memory by spending another moment with you in this damned magical prison. Farewell and enjoy the Hell you have chosen for yourself, Prince Ryo!"  
>"Kaori, wait!"<br>_'Liar. Trickster. Deceiver'_  
>She had to escape; she had to be out of his reach. How else could she forget the fearsome creature she had come to care so immensely for?<br>Kaori turned a deaf ear to Saeba's calls and approached the passage. She met an unseen resistance and stepped back.  
>"No!", she muttered.<br>She struck at the invisible wall, kicked and swore. Saeba was behind her when she turned and saw his eyes pleading for mercy. She swiftly turned her neck the other way, not surrendering to the earnestness in those eyes she loved, and stomped away.  
>"Do not follow me. I do not wish to see you ever again!"<br>"Kaori..."  
>"Do not pronounce my name!", she cried, "It sounds like yet another lie pouring out of your mouth!"<br>Saeba called,  
>"Where do you suppose you are going?"<br>"Anywhere but here! What is it to you?"  
>"You are going north! There are enemies ahead!"<br>"I shall go wherever I please!"  
>She could not be with him for another minute. In her rage, she could not heed the danger she might put herself in by travelling north.<br>"Do not take a single step further"  
>Saeba had blocked her path with his enormous self. She fumed,<br>"That is precisely what I will do!"  
>She tried to walk past him, but he stopped her again.<br>"I forbid you from going any further"  
>"Forbid me?", she frowned, "You do not own me! I shall go wherever I please, do whatever I want!"<br>"Stay here"  
>"I will not!"<br>"Don't make me hit you"  
>She ceased resisting and peered into his face. The tears were just a blink away.<br>"You will hit me?"  
>She hastily wiped the tears as Saeba begged her forgiveness. He tried his best to stop her.<br>"Kaori, please, do not..."  
>"I hate you!"<br>Shaking with rage, she hit him with her gunny sack and walked past him. Surely, it was not true. She was angry with him for maintaining a lie, for keeping such a grave secret from her, and for being an ally of the murderous King Kaibara; she could not hate him.  
>"Fine! Walk right into the enemy's arms! See if I care!"<br>"Fine!"  
>Kaori was not sure anymore who the real enemies were – the soldiers aiding the kingdom her brother was allied with, or the monster she loved who had helped the probable murderer of her brother.<p>

Saeba's anger had stalled him; he let her out of his sight. Could she not have given him an opportunity to explain himself? She simply cussed and yelled and walked away!  
><em>'No'<em>  
>Saeba turned and leaped at once. His leap covered about twenty yards of distance; he had sensed their presence, that was why. He roared her name and shoved her out of the range of the arrow, and felt the poisoned tip penetrate his hide. The enemy soldiers perched on the trees gave the battle cry to their comrades before Saeba could bring them down to death. He shielded Kaori with his haunches as well as he could, but the ground beneath them trembled, and Saeba saw an army of King Nogami's men rushing towards him and Kaori, with naked swords and spears. He pulled Kaori from under him by his teeth, shoved her behind him, and said,<br>"Run, Kaori"  
>"Y-y-you are wounded!"<br>"Get out of here, go to the realm. Hide in the cave. Go!"  
>"I will not leave you!"<br>"This is not the appropriate time to arg-"  
>He pushed her to the ground, dodging a spear. The archers from the trees expertly fired arrows at him. Saeba hurled away the arrows aimed at Kaori, thus receiving five of the ones aimed at him. He snarled,<br>"Kaori, go!"  
>Before she could answer, Saeba bellowed and climbed the trees in rapid succession, eliminating the archers in row. Kaori gasped as a spear struck right at her skirt, pinning it and her to the ground. Saeba saw her trying to pull the spear out and free herself, struck the last archer and jumped before his Healer. He tore part of her skirt with his claw and pulled the spear out of the ground with his teeth. Giving it to her, he ordered -<br>"Go, go! Take this and go hiding into the cave!"  
>"They are coming for you!"<br>"I beg of you, get out of here!"  
>"I will not desert you!"<br>Saeba saw Kaori's eyes enlarge and her face turn pale; she was looking behind him. He perceived, what seemed to be, the end approaching them. An array of spears, amid the valiant cries of the enemy soldiers, was a moment away from raining down on the Monster and his Healer; a moment away from killing them.

Saeba swung left, and right, and left again, dodging spears, shielding Kaori, ripping men into shreds with his claws. He was too preoccupied with defending a helpless Kaori to count the number of his attackers. He urged her every minute to run for her life, but she stayed, unaware that she was making the situation much more difficult for him.  
>"Let go off me!", she screamed.<br>Saeba had left her side for but a while to get rid of the swordsmen in the front. Before he could jump to her rescue, Saeba saw Kaori plucking her fingers into the eyes of the soldier who had been holding her. She hit him on the head with the wooden length of her spear and winced at her own pluck. Saeba had vanquished the spear-less soldiers in an instant, one after another, but half of the swordsmen were bent on capturing Kaori while the other half lunged at him from all sides. He leaped above their heads and tore, clawed, shoved those who were approaching Kaori; he turned only when he had made sure that no one was trying to attack her anymore. The fur on his back was matted with blood and blunt ends of arrows and spears poked out of his back and sides. Yet Saeba, as if oblivious to the poison coursing through his veins, pounded and killed all those who could not be subdued by injuries. There were corpses, bodies, blood all around him; his breath came in short gasps. He turned around to find Kaori clutching the spear to her chest and looking at him with a gaping mouth. He had saved her – it was all that mattered. If only he could reach her, waddle if the need be, if he could feel her hands on his person again, everything would be fine. The paralysing poison affecting his gait would be fine. He would be fine. Even if he were to die then and there, he did not care; his death only had to come to him in her arms.  
><em>'Kaori'<em>  
><strong>"NO!"<strong>  
>King Kaibara's Monster collapsed. The weight of his massive figure sent a tremor through the earth to Kaori's feet. She ran to him and pulled his head onto her lap with great effort. Saeba tried to keep his eyes open, but the lids were heavier than any load he had ever pulled.<br>"No, no, no, no, please!", Kaori whispered.  
>Saeba gritted his teeth as Kaori pulled out all the arrow and spear heads with trembling hands. Her tears fell on his bloody fur.<br>"You will be fine, you will be fine. I-I will heal you. I ju-just..."  
>"Kaori?", he sighed.<br>"You are going to be fine. I will heal you, I swear, even if it kills me!"  
>"You have done so already"<br>"What?"  
>His voice was hoarse and low. The jet-black eyes were growing faint. Saeba smiled, though it seemed like a sneer.<br>"You healed me. You made a man out of a monster"  
>"No. Hush! Do not talk so. I will..."<br>"Kaori", he said, "There could not have been a greater honour for me than to die in the arms of the woman I love. Pray don't look so scandalised. I know I was a monster... for hurting you"  
>"Please... please don't..."<br>"Farewell"  
>"No! No, please... Saeba, please!"<p>

Kaori let out a strangled shriek and shook him. She could not lose him, not stay put as he died in her arms. Her hands quivered violently when Saeba's breath receded and his head on her lap became heavier. It struck her then – she had lost yet another person whom she loved. Kaori did know she loved him; she knew the truth about his past would have never damaged her so if she did not love the supposed monster. Alas... she knew too late.  
>"Oh God", she sobbed and cradled his head in her arms, "Please don't leave me. Please"<br>She passed her lips over his brow, mumbling over and over,  
>"Please, you have me. Please come back to me. Please. Don't leave me so"<p>

Kaori looked up in surprise, her arms still around the monster's enormous head. The air surrounding them turned fragrant all of a sudden; hushed whispers passed over Kaori's ears and made her cower. She stared as the bodies of the wounded soldiers disappeared in short flashes of light and the whispers became more and more mysterious. Kaori panicked as Saeba's body began to emit light. She fell back as the corpse was lifted into the air, the light from it growing brighter and more astounding. The whispers maddeningly echoed and the air made her uneasy. Kaori had to shield her eyes for fear the light would blind her. She closed her eyes tight yet she could perceive the brightness growing stronger. For a moment, she felt sceptical.  
><em>'Could the angels be taking him?'<em>  
>When she at last opened her eyes, the sight yielded the breath out of Kaori's chest. Her eyes had to be deceiving her! What she was seeing could not be true. A man knelt before her, his right knee was positioned in front of his face and his left thigh hid his torso behind. His head was but a tuft of thick, shining black locks. His shoulders resembled those of a well-sculpted Greek idol, promised that their owner was a well-endowed, muscular man. When she believed herself to be on the verge of insanity, the man raised his head and looked into Kaori's eyes. Those eyes... <em>you know me; look into your heart, you know me<em>.  
>"Saeba?", she gasped.<br>"Ryo"


	11. The Charming Prince

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Disclaimer: I do not own _City Hunter_ or its characters.

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><p><span><strong>MY BELOVED MONSTER <strong>

**11. The Charming Prince**

"Ryo?"  
>"Yes"<br>Kaori Makimura gaped at the _human_ that knelt before her. Her mouth hung open, her lip quivered and her eyes tried at once to take in the whole of the form of her partner. He was human, as human as her own self! Could this really have been the grotesque monster who had breathed his last in her arms mere moments ago? Then, who else could it be if not her eccentric beast with eyes so black that they peered into the innermost crevices of her soul?  
>"'Tis I, Kaori"<br>He advanced to touch her cheek, but stopped. Kaori's voice was but a broken whisper.  
>"Oh. How... how could th-this happen? You live!"<br>"Would you rather not?"  
>Something in his tone suggested a hint of mockery to her, much alike the look his eyes in the painting held. When the realisation, of being in controversial proximity to the most beautiful man she had ever laid her eyes upon, hit her – Kaori blushed violently and averted her gaze.<br>"Do not say so. Surely I am glad that you live, but I am curious as to how do you?"  
>She looked at him again, and found him as unaware as herself. He sighed,<br>"I wish I knew how"  
>"Did King Kaibara not tell you when and if the spell would be over?"<br>He shook his head in the most discreet of movements. Kaori stood up and turned away, her heart was responding rapidly to this astonishing turn of events. She had to think, and think smartly, do what her brother would have done. The first thing to be done as of course would be to get Sae... _Ryo_... back into safety. She would think then; she would calculate her next step then. So she turned back to him, with her fingers crisscrossed, forming tight fists.  
>"We must go back to the cave. We should not stay here much further"<br>He nodded,  
>"I would love to, the moment you begin walking and do not turn back so that you may avert your own fainting"<br>Kaori frowned,  
>"I never faint! Whatever do you mean?"<br>Ryo raised a quizzical eyebrow, and Kaori winced. He was unbearably beautiful! She marvelled at how broad and strong his shoulders seemed... broad, strong and bare; his torso was bare as well. In fact, he had not a single piece of clothing on! Kaori turned red and exclaimed,  
>"Why in God's name are you not wearing any clothing?"<br>He traced a circle in the earth with his index finger,  
>"I have not worn any clothes since a long time. My fur kept me warm. And how dastardly unfashionable would I have looked wearing clothes over that beastly form of mine!"<br>She raised her hands in despair,  
>"Well, a dandy though you are, how do you suppose we are going to get you back to the cave?"<br>"I told you that not a minute ago – you keep on walking ahead of me, I will walk behind, and when we get to the cave, I shall cover my private area with leaves. Ah, I wonder though where we might find leaves long enough to cover the full length of my..."  
>"Do you propose to walk bare-bottomed through these woods like a wee toddler?"<br>He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. Kaori sighed. She put her palm to her brow and shook her head.  
>"Oh God no. Why me? Why do you hate me so, God you bast..."<br>"Shall we then?"  
>"Oi!", Kaori almost screamed, "Stay as you are!"<br>Ryo resumed his former position, while Kaori thanked and asked pardon of God for making sure she did not catch a glimpse of Ryo's genitalia. She inhaled a deep and soothing breath, and spoke in her most calm manner.  
>"We have to procure some sort of clothing for you. I cannot have a naked man walking behind me through the woods"<br>"If my nudity distresses you so, I could wear your dress, but I believe it will not fit me as snugly as it does you"  
>Kaori stood befuddled, contemplating whether he had implied that she take her clothing off or that he had vulgarly complimented that the dress fit her form well. Or both. She retorted rather sharply,<br>"I would rather marry an ape than strip off my dress and lend it to you. Now, look for clothing"  
>Ryo snidely scrutinised her as a whistling draft of wind passed between them. Kaori turned her chin upwards,<br>"Indeed I know that we are alone in the realm and we cannot find anything for you to wear here. However..."  
>"Your neckerchief"<br>"My what?!", Kaori growled.  
>Ryo explained,<br>"It will hide, as per your sentiments, the most objectionable area of my body, and we can walk back to the cave in peace"  
>"But..."<br>"You are being quite a prude, I must say. Tell you what – I will walk ahead and you can walk behind me; I shall not mind"  
>"What makes you believe I would be interested in being a spectator of your swinging bottom?!"<br>"Oh. Then if you walk before me, I get a view of your swinging bottom. But you, in all probability, have a lovely bottom"  
>Kaori seethed and reached behind her neck to untie the kerchief, muttering as she did so -<br>"I liked you better when you were a furry monster"  
>It would be embarrassing indeed, but surely not as embarrassing as walking with a naked man at her heels.<br>"Take it", she handed the yarn-spun kerchief to him.

Ryo was looking at the little flowers on the scarf when Kaori turned away to give him enough privacy that he may clothe himself. Ryo was much outspoken than the aloof and dark Saeba. They were the same person though, yet it seemed difficult to believe so.  
>"All done", Ryo said.<br>Kaori turned around to find him standing a foot taller than her, and devastatingly handsome. From the wavy locks of his black hair to the muscular ridges on his abdomen, right down to his toes – Ryo was a personification of male beauty and virility. The honey-hued scarf wrapped below his hips was in contrast to his manliness, and Kaori hid half a smile at the sight of the feminine kerchief on his well-formed body. She looked up at his face again, only to find him staring in awe at something upon her person. As if heated by the admiring gaze of Ryo, Kaori's partly exposed breasts turned warm, as did her face. She covered her chest with her hand and demanded of Ryo,  
>"Whatever are you staring at with that foolish look on your face?!"<br>His reply was solemn.  
>"I would have never admitted it before, but you are a very", he closed his eyes and stressed the word for emphasis, "...very, very beautiful woman, Kaori"<br>When he opened his eyes again and met hers, Kaori's face flushed further and she put all her strength into scolding him.  
>"Th-that does not mean you should look at my partly-bare chest!"<br>"And why not, I say? Beauty fails its purpose if not admired by an acknowledging eye"  
><em>'The charming swine' <em>  
>She grit her teeth and spluttered,<br>"Do not look at my breasts!"  
>She retrieved her gunny sack from where it lay and marched forward, while a confused Ryo followed close behind.<p>

The familiar scenery of the Bussing Trees and the Nymph's Bathing Water welcomed them, and Kaori climbed into A Lady's Breech. She laid her head against the rocky wall and breathed relief. Ryo had crawled in after her and was now sitting across from where she did. He spoke before she could assemble her thoughts.  
>"We ought to get you back to the shire. However, I am certain that the passage shan't reopen for another fortnight. You cannot stay here though"<br>"I?"  
>"Yes. When the enemies come, I might ward them off, but I cannot have you put in harm's way again", he smiled ruefully, "Makimura would curse me from his grave if I did so... again"<br>He seemed to be somewhat as his old self, and surprisingly, Kaori did not approve of that. The brooding, sinister demeanour was Saeba's, not of the handsome and flirtatious Prince before her. She said,  
>"Allow me to say this for the last time", Kaori leaned forward, "I shall not leave you alone. If I leave the realm, you leave with me"<br>"Kaori", Ryo said, "You cannot jeopardise your life here for my sake. I am damned to be here. Monster or not – I cannot pass through the passage. If somehow I were to, there are ten sentries at the kingdom's gates who would kill anyone coming through if it is not you and escorted by Umibozu"  
>"We could hide here for a fortnight"<br>"No. You shall leave"  
>"The spell has somehow been reversed, Ryo. You are at risk as well if you stay here"<br>"I have to protect the kingdom from the intruders"  
>"You do not have to do squat!", she exclaimed, "I am not leaving with-out you and that is decided. Say another word and I will walk right up North until I reach King Nogami's bedchamber!"<br>"You will do nothing of the sort!"  
>"Then you will accompany me?"<br>"I cannot"  
>"If not for my sake, for the kingdom's sake, Ryo. They're living in a lie-induced haze; only the truth of your tale can bring them back to reality"<br>"You are asking me to disobey..."  
>"A lying, treacherous, murdering ruler"<br>"He is my father, Kaori. You do not know him as well as I do"  
>Kaori kept mum.<br>_'He does not know'_  
>Thus she hated King Kaibara more for keeping Ryo in the dark. How else could he have persuaded Ryo to submit to that ghastly spell?<br>She tried a different tactic to convince him.  
>"Your father will be happy to see you, will he not?"<br>"I would rather die than let him see me in my weak state"  
>"Weak?"<br>"Hush now. We have to devise a scheme to get you back home"  
>Kaori stood up,<br>"I am going back home, Ryo, and through King Nogami's kingdom, whether you come with me or not"  
>Ryo stood up as well,<br>"You are committing the same mistake again"  
>"I will commit the damning mistake over and over again until you agree to come home with me"<br>"Kaori..."  
>"Your answer, Ryo", she asked, "Will you come home with me?"<br>"I cannot"  
>"Not if I told you that we can solve the mystery of my brother's death on our way?"<br>Ryo stared at her questioningly, and with injured pride. Kaori told him,  
>"I discovered a letter addressed to my brother; it was written by Princess Saeko"<br>Ryo's eyes turned upon her with a ferocity and loss of composure she felt she could not associate with the lovely Prince.  
>"I shan't lie to you, Ryo – knowing who killed my brother is more important for me than our safety. I am going to meet Princess Saeko no matter what comes my way. You are welcome to tag along"<br>"He loved her"  
>"I know"<br>Ryo sighed and slumped to the ground, with a hand on his face. Kaori did not enquire after him, but listened intently from behind a lacklustre face.  
>"I believed", Ryo regained his calm demeanour, "that he would return safely as he always did after meeting her, but he... he walked all the way in his state and warned me of the danger to come my way. I ought to have protected him"<br>"I am unaware if you could have", Kaori said, ignoring her own share of the tragedy and spurring him on, "You can certainly avenge him though"  
>"You have to bear in mind that what killed him was not human"<br>"I shall"  
>"Is there any way in which I can persuade you to turn your back on this?"<br>"None", she faced him.  
>Ryo drew in a breath, and eyed her with the deepest severity and gloom. Kaori did not flinch. He said,<br>"We have a long journey ahead of us"  
>"Aye. We have to find you some clothing first"<br>"Is the sight of me so unbearable to you? Frankly, my pride is injured; I will have you know that this very body of your humble servant has been interpreted through ceramic art and..."  
>"Oh pish-posh!"<p> 


End file.
